saving energy

Today’s Power Trip is my way of sharing my day-to-day adventures in home energy savings, I am a Home Energy Auditor and I enjoy sharing my day with you. Here on Detect Energy, I hope you will find both the inspiration and the information that you need to conserve power and lower your energy bills.

My e-Newsletter, the Energy Spy Insider, hits the emailing air waves about three times a week and brings you the latest news, tips, methods, and stories concerning home energy savings, energy conservation, energy politics, and renewable energy. If you found this “Power Trip” and have not signed-up for my eNewsletter, just look around, there is a sign-up form here somewhere, just add your email address and hit submit.

I really appreciate your comments and ideas, so be sure and leave me some of your wisdom at the end of every article. Follow me on twitter and facebook @detectenergy.

I would like to share with you the fact that Detect Energy will be up-grading the old website once again. Visitors will still be able to access all the great “energy saving” articles, but, in addition, there will be a wealth of “How To” checklists and ebooks to choose from. Perhaps you would be interested in being a contributing writer – just let me know.

The Secret Weapon to Saving Energy - The Apartment Manager

I was told by the speaker at a seminar that old stone buildings constructed in the 1400′s had exterior walls with an R-value of about R-2. In comparison, commercial buildings constructed in the 1960′s had an R-value of about R-2. Seems that in several hundred years, buildings did not change much in exterior wall insulation.

The point remains, if we are going to slow down the energy consumption rate, we are going to have to pay attention to all areas of construction and energy use and always consider – how can this building use less energy.

Let’s leave the stone walls of the dark ages and turn our discussion to the dark ages of apartment construction. The thousands of apartment developments that were constructed between 1900 and 1990′s stand as dinosaur energy hogs that strain the ability of the energy grid to supply enough electricity to these giants whether it’s the middle of the winter or the hottest days of summer.

90 years of throwing up cheap investment housing for the masses to co-exist with little regard for the performance of the thin box construction or the method of supplying minimal heat and cooling. It is little wonder that the open pit coal mines are beginning to look like the Grand Canyon.

Four advances in apartment energy awareness could save millions of kilowatt hours.

• Insulation – underfloor, walls, and ceiling – let’s break out the fiberglass and the cellulose and save some energy.
• Air Sealing – seal the perimeter , everywhere there is a hole in the wall is an air leak. Bring on the Great Stuff spray foam insulation.
• Efficient heating and cooling – Disconnect the radiant ceiling heat, the wall space heaters and the baseboard heaters. Hook up the ductless heat pumps.
• Apartment Manager Training – a certificate for the position of apartment manager demonstrating a Doctorate in energy education.

This goes back to following the leader. Something we all learned in kindergarten. The apartment manager leads the way for energy savings within the apartment complex. Energy efficiency becomes the new calling card of the manager, something he or she focuses on other than the dog land mines in the yard and the car with three flat tires that has not moved out of the parking lot in 6 months.

Just think, within an area of a city or county, the apartment complexes could all compete for the lowest energy use per bedroom. Around here, that would be about 348 complexes, 20,880 living units, or 62,640 bedrooms.

The winning manager would win a weeks vacation at a time share in Can Cun. The winning residences would win a community solar array that would give them an advantage of winning the next years competition by having lower power bills. The community solar array could just keep growing, year after year.

The real winner is everybody. When it comes to saving energy and preserving the environment, we are all in this together. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer to have just one Grand Canyon.

Here’s a few head scratchers from the advertisement page of a sustainable magazine.

Since the green movement seems to be a popular one, I guess these businesses wanted to take advantage of green recognition. Not a bad idea to support a business that at least has the word green in their ad.

1. Save $10 off Full-Service oil change. Turn your car into a green machine! Now offering Eco-Ultra Oil.
2. Gunness Landscaping, Planting and pruning to enhance the energy efficiency and livability of your home.
3. Springbrook Chiropractic, Sustainable Health care.
4. Specializing in Green Building Technologies, fine homes crafted for enduring beauty.
5. It’s easy to say you’re green. It’s not so easy to actually be green, Carpet One Floor and Home.
6. Meisel Rock Products. Crushed quarry rock, sand and gravel. We’ve been thinking green for over 60 years.
7. Recycling and contributing to the health of the environment since 1969, Cascade Steel Rolling Mills.
8. Chuck Colvin Auto Center, McMinnville’s Drive GREEN headquarters. Let us help you get better gas mileage.
9. Andrew Physical Therapy, We’ve gone green, our clinic is one of a few medical clinics using solar panels.
10. Harvest Fresh Grocery and deli, Your local Green Grocer.
11. Oil Can Henry’s, Save $6, Go Green & get better gas mileage.
12. Want a Dentist who is going Green? Now encouraging environmentally Conscious patients, All About Smiles.
13. Farnham Electrical, Ready to serve you for your electrical or energy efficient needs.
14. 50/10 houses, the 50/10 houses offer the opportunity to achieve your deep green dream of owning an energy efficient home.

I like this Dentist ad best of all, it actually gives some evidence as to how a Dentist might go green.

• Ingrid M. Viljak, Even Dentist have gone green, Composite resin fillings, Paperless charts, Digital X-Rays, No latex gloves.

Thanks Ingrid, appreciate the way you actually pointed out some greening aspects of your practice.

One thing for sure, the more we get green, sustainable and energy efficiency out there in connection with everyday life, the more people will think about their green choices and make some greening life changes. Go Green.

“Guess What’s in the Picture”  One thing for sure, it has something to do with energy conservation.

Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, hope you come back soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

Today’s Power Trip is my way of sharing my day-to-day adventures in home energy savings, in-a-way, you could say I have an slight energy conservation addiction.

My e-Newsletter, the Energy Spy Insider, hits the emailing list about three times a week and brings you the latest news, tips, methods, and stories concerning the broad subject of energy conservation, energy politics, and renewable energy. If you found this “Power Trip” and have not signed-up for my eNewsletter, just look around, there is a sign-up form here somewhere, just add your email address and hit submit.

I really appreciate your comments and ideas, so be sure and leave me some of your wisdom at the end of every article. Follow me on twitter and facebook @detectenergy.

I would like to share with you the fact that Detect Energy will be up-grading the old website once again. Visitors will still be able to access all the great “energy saving” articles, but, in addition, there will be a wealth of “How To” checklists and ebooks to choose from. Perhaps you would be interested in being a contributing writer – just let me know.

Sick of all the Super Solar Talk

The Latest solar technology speaks about painting solar cells on fabric and powering your big screen T.V. Sounds super, just super. Wow, just paint the cells on practically anything and power everything. So, where is it – where are the super, spray on solar cells. Are they in a place where the average Joe can see and use them or are they only on a lab table in some solar think tank?

Don’t know about you, but I am getting sick and tired of hearing about super solar cells that you and me will never see. All we ever see is a super power bill. You know what a super power bill is don’t you, it  is one that just keeps going up and up for no rational reason. Power bills are like hot air balloons – ever so slowly and ever so quietly, they climb out of sight.

Couple things I would like to know:

• Where is all the super solar cells?
• How does a super solar cell power my big screen at night?
• Why don’t I have solar power at my house?

First, where are all the super solar cells that are going to save us from nuclear power? It is hard for me to tell, when I read about new solar technology, if that technology is just an idea on a computer program somewhere or if it’s an actual functioning product. So many articles about solar talk about the solar application as being up-and-running and ready to go – available to the everyday consumer. This is rarely the case. Usually, the super solar cells are waiting for the next three years of intense study to determine if the solar cells are cost effective – in other words, can the cells produce more energy than it takes to make them. Hopefully, the process for certifying a new solar cell is not the lengthy ordeal similar to getting a new cancer drug on the market.

Second, solar cells are shown painted on fabric and powering some sort of unnecessary appliance like a iPod with the ear buds pumping out tunes, but what happens when the sun goes down? Seems to me solar power is only as good as the nuclear power plant that feeds the power grid from the other end. So what happens when the sun goes down – big time power takes over and we’re right back to dirty, un-earthly power governed by the power gods in high rise offices. The consolation is that at least we have provided clean renewable power  through the sunny times.

Third, I don’t have solar at my house because it costs too much and I have not had the loose change to swing the deal. Even with the incentives and tax credits, a basic solar array system producing 2400 kW/h per year will cost you out-of-pocket $4,000 to $6000.  I know that I should support renewable energy by actually having a little renewable energy, but the time and funding has not come together at the right time. I have this great garage roof facing due South with no obstructions, perfect.

Enters the possibilty of the solar lease option. Solar contractors will install solar power at your house and it won’t cost you a dime. Not a dime out-of-pocket. The contractor handles everything, pays for everything and then you pay the contractor a set agreed amount every month – which is less than the cost of the electricity you were paying for before the solar power. It’s a winner, the homeowner pays less per month for juice, the contractor makes money off of incentives, tax credits, and monthly rent, and the world has more renewable energy.

I will let you know how it goes, I’m looking into this solar lease business. First step, ask my State Dept. of Energy for their certified contractor list.

The old heat pump is the best choice

Needed a decision from the homeowner on which energy upgrade they had decided to choose. The home was constructed 27 years ago and the home could use a number of energy saving improvements.

• Add insulation to the attic: Need to add 12 inches of blown fiberglass.
• Install insulation underfloor: Need to install r-25
• Air seal and insulate heatng ducts: Duct mastic and R-11 vinyl backed insulation.
• Replace Glass sliding door: Remove aluminum frame and replace with vinyl frame.
• Replace windows: Remove and replace all double pane, aluminum frame windows with vinyl frame windows, U-30 or better.
• Replace 27 year old heat pump: Install new 14 Seer heat pump or better.
• Replace old appliances: Replace refrigerator and dishwasher with new energy star models.

Knowing that they had $3,500 to spend, the homeowners took a couple weeks to talk it over and come to a decision. They decided to spend their energy up-grade dollars on a new, high efficiency heat pump and duct sealing. The decision was based on a couple factors.

• The heat pump was old and could be on it’s last leg, ready to stop working and need to be replaced soon anyway.
• The heat pump was a major expense item where some of the other things could be done in small, less expensive steps.
• The higher efficiency heat pump would supply lower cost heating and cooling for years to come.

I think they made the correct choice, what do you think?

Guess What’s in the Picture

Yes, it has to do with home energy savings and helping your home operate more energy efficient.

Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, hope you come back soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

Today’s Power Trip is my way of sharing my day-to-day adventures in home energy savings, in-a-way, you could say I have an slight energy conservation addiction. Today, the trip is about replacement windows.

My e-Newsletter, the Energy Spy Insider, hits the emailing list about three times a week and brings you the latest news, tips, methods, and stories concerning the broad subject of energy conservation, energy politics, and renewable energy. If you found this “Power Trip” and have not signed-up for my eNewsletter, just look around, there is a sign-up form here somewhere, just add your email address and hit submit.

I really appreciate your comments and ideas, so be sure and leave me some of your wisdom at the end of every article. Follow me on twitter and facebook @detectenergy.

I would like to share with you the fact that Detect Energy will be up-grading the old website once again. Visitors will still be able to access all the great “energy saving” articles, but, in addition, there will be a wealth of “How To” checklists and ebooks to choose from. Perhaps you would be interested in being a contributing writer – just let me know.

I have the Dates for EECE!

Remember in a previous “power trip” I spoke of the EECE in 2012. EECE stands for Energy Efficiency Conference & Exhibit. Further information is now available, the conference is being held in Orlando, Florida on June 21, 2012 and rune through June 24th.

The show will open with energy efficiency on the International Space Station, speaker Mr. Russell Romanela from NASA.

For more information on the conference go to www.eece.us

The conference opens on SolarDay 2012, for more information on SolarDay 2012 go to  www.solarday.com

No thank you, I want windows

When talking energy efficiency and lower power bills, homeowners have a hard time looking passed new replacement windows and something called “cost effective.” Let’s face it, new windows are a lot more clamerous than itchy fiberglass. Let’s take a closer look at it.

The homeowner has $3,500 to spend and wants new windows. I visit the home and perform a home energy audit, blower door test and duct blaster, the whole shabang. The under floor has no insulation and the attic has about an R-12 – about 4 inches of blown fiberglass. The heat pump is about an 8 SEER and is 27 years old.

The windows are  aluminum frame windows with two panes of glass. Most of the windows are sliders with interior horizontal blinds.

This homeowner can have the attic air sealed and 12 inches of blown fiberglass insulation added for about $800. The payback in energy savings, about 4 years. Or, have two windows replaced with new vinyl frame, double pane windows with the same $800. The payback in energy savings would take place in about 35 years.

The homeowners response to this information, “Well, we would kinda like to spend the whole $3,500 on replacement windows.”

My recommendation would be:

• Spend the $3,500 on a new heat pump, 14 SEER, but make sure the deal includes duct testing and sealing.
• Spend any remaining funds and a little out-of-pocket money on underfloor insulation.
• Save up $20, buy some spray insulating foam like Great Stuff and air seal your own attic floor.
• Save up $400 and buy your attic insulation from a building supply store that lets you use their machine for spreading the insulation.
• Save up $400 and replace one window. And then save up another $400 and replace another, etc.
• If you are good with your hands and building tools, watch a few “how to’ video’s and then replace a window for $175.

Wind Turbine Weather Station

I pass a wind turbine on my way to and from work. It sits on the side of a hill on about a 70 foot steel tower. With three white blades and a tail, it just sits there hoping to turn into the prevailing wind.

Watching it closely as I pass by, I make note of whether or not the blades are turning and if it is producing electricity for the country home that sits down the hill.

One thing I have come to realize, as I continue to take mental data recordings of the turbines activities , is the fact that when the turbine is turning in the morning, the weather that day leaves something to be desired. The day is apt to be rainy, overcast and breezy.

If the turbine is as still as a deer in a set of headlights, the day tends to be a whole lot nicer – sunny skies and warmer temperatures.

So this wind turbine has a dual purpose, generating electricity and forecasting the weather. One thing for sure, the turbine forecast just might be as reliable as network news.

Guess What’s in the Picture

Can you guess what’s in the picture? I’ll bet it has something to do with saving energy and energy efficiency.

Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, hope you will come back soon, but I won’t leave a light on for you…

Energy Conservation

Todays Power Trip - High Power Bill and Where To Save Energy

by Don Ames

When your reviewing your home energy bill and become  concerned about a rising power costs and energy conservation, don’t overlook the possibility of a malfunctioning thermostat. Rising home power costs can often times be the result of an older thermostat or a thermostat that is not wired correctly. To save energy, the thermostat needs to be matched to the heating and cooling system and needs to be wired correctly.

Recently, I visited a home where the homeowner was concerned with rising power costs. About 6 years ago, a heat pump was added to his electric furnace and within the last four months the power bill had shown significant increases.

Homeowner complaints included:

• Rising power bill reaching just over $300.
• Furnace that blows cool air from the heating registers.
• Furnace fan that seems to run often and long.

A week before I visited the home, the homeowner became concerned that the thermostat might be the problem. He changed the thermostat, replacing an older style, mercury bulb thermostat, with a new programmable digital model.  Proud of himself and increased energy conservation, he showed me the old mercury switch and I reminded him to dispose of it in an appropriate recycle facility. Don’t mess around with mercury.

I am concerned about whether or not the thermostat is wired correctly. Sometimes the older mechanical thermostats didn’t have as many wires connected to them as a newer digital thermostat requires.

Recommendation:

In order to keep your furnace and heat pump working efficiently, have them checked and serviced once a year.

• Have a Heating and Cooling contractor service the heating system.
• Check for efficient operation of both the heat pump and the furnace.
• Check to see that the thermostat is wired correctly.

Heating duct air leakage

To follow up on other causes of high heating costs,  I got out the blower door and duct blaster. The blower door will tell us how much air is leaking into and out of the house and the duct blaster will tell us how much air is leaking out of the heating ducts. Stopping air leakage from the heating ducts is one of the most cost effect, power saving measures we can do for a home.

The blower door test indicated 825 CFM house air leakage. Since the home is about 1400 square feet of living space, this amount of air leakage is OK. If the home was air sealed and the air leakage was reduced, the home might begin to feel stuffy or stale. A home needs to breath in order to have fresh air for the household.

The duct blaster registered 520 CFM total leakage with 315 CFM leakage to the outside of the home. The figure of 315 CFM to the outside is the important figure. I would like to see  this reading below 100 CFM. It will be beneficial to have a contractor seal the heating system to save energy.

Recommendation – Free heating duct sealing provided

Since this is a manufactured home and since the power company feels sealing heating ducts is a productive, cost effective way to save energy, a contractor can come and seal the heating ducts and the power company will pay for it 100%. Now there is a good deal.

For this home and this power trip, I will recommend that a heating contractor service the furnace and heat pump and check to see that the thermostat is wired and working correctly. I will also help the homeowner schedule a duct sealing contractor that is approved by the power company to test and seal the heating ducts.

I’m looking forward to learning if the work being done to this home will lower the power usage and the power bill. Thanks for checking out Today’s Power Trip, come back to detect energy soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

Heat Pump Energy Efficient

The Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump’s Big Brother

by Chris Laumer-Giddens ,  homeenergypros.com

In my last four HVAC Design jobs, I’ve specified ductless mini-split heat pumps. I have four more such jobs underway now.

Why mini-splits?

• ■Efficiency (up to 26 SEER)
• ■Variable Refrigerant Flow
• ■Versatility
• ■No Ducts!

In fact, some say they’re threatening to replace the standard forced air HVAC systems that we’ve grown to lo…well, that we’ve grown accustomed to. Allison’s post about the advantages of these mini-split heat pumps explains some of the other reasons why they’re becoming so popular.

Diamond Designer

At a recent Mitsubishi Diamond Designer training, I learned more about the mini-split’s big brother, the CITY MULTI system by Mitsubishi Electric HVAC, and how to design it for multi-family and commercial buildings. It uses the same efficient technology as mini-splits, but on a larger scale. In fact, we recently looked at a 250-unit high rise condominium retrofit project where CITY MULTI would replace a tired, inefficient boiler and chiller system from the 1960′s. CITY MULTI’s pipes are no bigger than 3″ with insulation, so the lines will be small enough that the team won’t have modify the structure much at all.

The WHAT and the HOW

CITY MULTI is a 2-pipe, modular heat pump system that takes advantage of special compressors that can feed up to 50 different zones. It also can do simultaneous heating and cooling.

The 2 pipes are the refrigerant lines that run from an outdoor condensing unit to either a BC Controller or Branch Header. From there, soft copper, pre-insulated line-sets are used to deliver the cold or hot refrigerant to individual fan coils that are placed within each zone that requires heating or cooling. With the simultaneous heating and cooling system, the same refrigerant which is used to heat one zone can be pumped to another zone with a need for cooling. This offers both increased energy efficiency and comfort over other types of HVAC systems.

Depending on the series (R2, WR2, Y, WY, H2i, & S), systems can be designed for up to 30-tons of capacity, using 6, 8, 10, or 12-ton modular condensers piped together. These systems can also have over 100% connected capacity, in some cases up to 150% of their condensing unit rated capacity because of the systems greatest asset: Variable Refrigerant Flow/Volume (VRF or VRV).

VRF/VRV allows a system to adjust the amount of refrigerant delivered by the compressors to provide only the amount of heating or cooling to a zone that is required at any given time within the limits of the designed peak load. It does this through the use of a Linear Expansion Valve (LEV) that controls the refrigerant flow to each indoor unit. Through 3 on-board thermistors, the indoor unit constantly monitors the space and refrigerant conditions and communicates to the LEV and the condensing unit to dial up or down the amount of refrigerant delivered to the coil.

Controls vary as well but are very simple and integrated with the system. The indoor units can be controlled individually, by a central master controller, both, or by a PC-based system. Because the thermostats are within the indoor units, or heads, temperature is controlled remotely and the controls can be placed anywhere within the zone. They can be used to read the temperature in the room but are NOT a thermostat.

The Advantages

■Certain models offer 100% heating capacity down to 5° F. All the units are heat pump models that provide substantial low ambient heating capability typically eliminating the need for additional heating systems in most of the Southeast and even much farther north if properly designed.

■The inverter driven compressor uses only as much or as little energy as needed at any given point in time to maintain room conditions. This results in energy savings that have been in the range of 10% to 40% over other systems (based on actual retrofit results and project energy models)

■R-2 and Y series systems are compatible with both air cooled and water cooled configurations, and the water-cooled equipment CAN be used with geothermal applications

■Indoor fan coil options range from floor, wall, and ceiling mounted to floor, wall and ceiling concealed (ducted).

■Using their new Hydronic Heat Exchanger and Booster units, hot water can be created directly or through the use of recovered energy from cooling for large potential energy savings.

■Offers completely integrated ventilation options between 300 and 1200 CFM.

■First cost is competitive with water source heat pump systems and is better than four-pipe and geothermal systems.

In addition to commercial and multi-family projects, this could potentially be a great application in larger homes that have loads greater than 5 tons (and available 3-phase power).

http://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profiles/blogs/the-ductless-minisplit-heat

Geothermal Heating

Geothermal Systems for Your Home: Tap into the Earth with the power of geothermal heating and cooling for your city abode.

By John Ivanko, urbanfarmonline.com

 Vertical geothermal-system installations don’t require a lot of area, so they work well in urban and suburban spaces alike.

While the sun above may power your urban farm or grace you with a bumper crop of tomatoes on your rooftop, many urban and suburban residents are taking advantage of the ground below to heat and cool their homes. Just 6 feet below the surface is soil that remains between 45 and 75 degrees F year-round, regardless of where you live. That’s why root cellars or underground caves are so efficient for storing food and why water pumped from the ground is refreshingly cool, even on the hottest summer day.

Geothermal heating and cooling systems, also called ground source heat pumps, tap the consistent temperature of the Earth, transferring it through a series of pipes and heat exchangers to be redistributed to heat or cool a building. In the winter, geothermal heat pumps pull heat from the Earth. In the summer, these same pumps use the ground as a heat sink: a place to dump and dissipate heat. Many systems are connected to radiant floor heating, whereby a series of hot-water pipes that run through the floor radiate heat; such systems can provide an additional 40 percent in energy savings over regular forced-air heating systems. Geothermal systems can also be used for heating domestic hot water.

“Geothermal systems don’t create energy, they just move it,” explains Leo Udee with the Wisconsin Geothermal Association. “We live on a solar panel. The Earth absorbs about 46 percent of the solar heat energy.”

Geothermal systems can expand your self-reliance; reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by avoiding the need for natural gas, propane or other fossil fuel-based heating or cooling systems; and help you avoid unpredictable and often rapid increases in energy costs. Geothermal systems operate quietly and are remarkably compact. Best of all, unlike solar or wind-turbine systems, geothermal systems work everywhere—under lawns, landscaped areas or even the driveway of your house.

The Most Efficient Way to Heat

Geothermal heat pump systems can quietly and efficiently meet your home’s heating and cooling needs at a fraction of the cost of more traditional systems, like gas-fired furnaces and electricity-based air conditioning systems. According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps can provide savings of 30 to 60 percent over conventional heating and cooling systems, making them the most efficient heating and cooling systems available. The upfront installation can be pricey, but you’ll likely save money overall in operation and maintenance costs.

Geothermal systems are also becoming more mainstream, making it easier to find a professional installer. “There are between 1 to 2 million geothermal heat pumps installed in the U.S.,” says Jim Bose, executive director of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association. “About 40 percent of those systems are residential. The industry is growing at about 15 percent a year.”

Thanks to federal tax credits of 30 percent and incentives available in many states, installing a geothermal heat pump system has never been more affordable. Many states and utilities also offer low-interest financing.

According to Janet Reeder with the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, most homes can be retrofitted for a geothermal system using existing ductwork, though drilling the underground portion can become complicated (and more costly) due to obstacles that may be in the way of the drill, including tree branches and wires overhead and buried telephone cables and gas lines.

Digging your Geothermal System Design

There are various geothermal heat pump heating and cooling system designs. Regardless of the type of design, the system employs a series of pipes, called a loop, installed beneath the ground surface to collect the heat (or coolness).

The most common closed-loop design involves a heat-transfer fluid of ecologically safe propylene glycol antifreeze solution in a closed-loop pipe system buried in the ground. The closed-loop pipes are usually made of high-density polyethylene with a 50-year manufacturer’s warranty. The fluid in the buried pipes captures the heat and transfers it to the surface by electric pumps. A heat exchanger then transfers the fluid temperature to refrigerant.

Alternatively, direct-exchange geothermal systems operate with the refrigerant itself circulating through copper pipes buried in the ground. While heat transfer is higher and the installation sometimes less expensive, the direct-exchange system faces possible Freon refrigerant leaks, as acidic soil eats away at the copper piping over time. This can lead to costly repairs as well as damage to the upper atmosphere from the leaked Freon. As a result, most direct-exchange geothermal systems are not approved for installation in many parts of the country. 

Given space limitations in urban settings, most geothermal systems will involve vertical closed-loop fields. Here, a hole is bored 50 to 200 feet into the ground (200 feet is about the height of a 20-story building), and two U-shaped loops of pipe are inserted in the hole, followed by a special grout sealing material. In suburban areas with more space, a horizontal field may be used where the piping is buried 4 to 6 feet deep using a “slinky style” technique or looping the pipe back over itself, and covering each length with soil.

Certifying Efficiency

When comparing different geothermal heating systems, make sure the systems are certified based on the efficiency of their performance from two independent programs: Energy Star and the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if in doubt, make sure the geothermal heat pump has a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.8 or greater and an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 13 or greater.

Due to the technical aspects and equipment needed for geothermal heat-pump systems, they’re not do-it-yourself projects. Have them installed by professional dealers who specialize in various heat-pump systems and the technical details of local geology and hydrology. Check with your local utility, the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association or the Geothermal Exchange Organization for installers in your area.

Investing in Energy Savings

According to the U.S. DOE, geothermal heat pumps are priced based on their capacity, running about $2,500 per ton of capacity. A geothermal heat-pump system designed for an average American residence (three or four people in a 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot home) will cost about $7,500 for a 3-ton unit (before federal or state incentives), including installation, though that cost will likely be higher for vertical systems.

Depending on soil conditions, climate, system features and incentives, your initial investment can be recovered within two to 10 years as a result of energy savings. Most geothermal systems can be covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy and do not require any other liability coverage.

Among the first steps in evaluating your site and home for a geothermal heat pump system is determining just how much heat loss you might expect from your building, then sizing the system to meet these needs. That’s why having a well-insulated home can help reduce your space-heating and -cooling needs. An installer will help you evaluate the level of insulation, exposure of the building to the sun, type and number of windows, and a host of other construction and design issues. The results of these calculations will determine the amount of heat (or cooling) needed to keep your home comfortable. More isn’t better when it comes to planning a geothermal system. You want the system to be just enough to meet your needs.

Renewable Energy Resources

A Paris School Turns to the Sewers for a Sustainable Heat Source

by Alex Davies, treehugger.com

Heated water running through Paris’ sewers will be put to use heating a school.

Paris has been on an alternative energy roll as of late: installing hydropower turbines in the Seine, testing the limits of urban wind power and using solar power to run its public toilets. Now the French capital is going further: using heat from wastewater in its sewers to keep the students at a local school group warm and toasty.

It’s the first time this process has been used in Paris, but it’s not unprecedented. Last year, a nearby town began using the heat from wastewater in its pipes to heat its swimming pools. The Wattignies school group, in Paris’ 12 arrondissement, has been equipped with a heat pump and 60 meters of heat exchangers.

The energy that goes into heating water for dishwashers, laundry machines, showers and sinks usually goes to waste, but now it will be recovered, and the projected stats are impressive. If all goes according to plan, the new system will meet 70% of the school’s heating needs and avoid the emission of 76.3 tons of CO2 per year.

The process is safe and clean, the City explains. It requires no combustion and there’s no cause for alarm odor-wise: only the heat is recovered from the sewer water, not the smell. And it’s a great, creative way to save not only energy, but money

Heat Pumps

Guess What’s in the Picture that can Save you Energy?

Don Ames

Hi folks, Don Ames here with another picture I would like to talk to you about. What’s in the picture? Simply one of the most energy efficient heating and cooling systems available.

The square box at the bottom has two main parts, a fan and a compressor. The long rectangle at the top also has two main parts, a fan and a heat exchanger. The little component, bottom right, is the remote control.

This heating and cooling system is known by two names. A ductless heat pump or a mini-split heat pump.

Put these three components together to heat and cool your home and you have one of the most energy efficient systems available today.

How to you set it up?

The larger box sits outside the home and the longer retanglular box  mounts on an interior wall. The two units are connected by two copper tubes and are connect to electricity.

One outdoor unit can operate one or two indoor units.

This is not a DIY project, use a licensed heating contractor to handle the start up and testing.

Why is a ductless heat pump so energy efficient?

Well, the reason is that a ductless heat pump doesn’t have any ducts. Heating ducts can leak and loose energy, the ductless heat pump has no ducts to waste energy.

If your looking for an efficient way to heat and cool your home or to just add heat or cooling to part of your home, talk to your favorite heating contractor about a ductless heat pump.

Keep the kid in the garage.

Don Ames Daily

Guess the son had a greater need for my economical ford focus than I did, so I got stuck driving the 1 ton to work. Filled both tanks on the pickup the other day, $2.81 cents a gallon ( had 10 cents off a gallon because I had purchased over $100 dollars at the grocery store ) still cost me $92 dollars to fill up. The best place for the F350 is in the garage.

Number of years age I thought about having the power package added to the engine - headers, blower, etc. - because it would supposedly add noticeable horsepower and actually, when not horsepowering around, add fuel economy. Still thinking about it.

Visited a home yesterday where the homeowner was looking to spend about $3,500 on energy saving measures to their home. They wanted to install a new programmable thermostat and a new efficient electric furnace. They pointed out that 2 years earlier they had the furnace blower replaced when it refused to blow. Since the blower had to be replaced, the homeowner felt it was only a matter of time before the rest of the furnace gave out. Anyway, they wanted a newer furnace which would have to be more efficient.

Need to understand a couple things about an electric furnace:

• An electric furnace never really wears out, it is all components and the components can be replaced as needed.
• ( A gas furnace can wear out and need to be replaced because of the heat exchanger compartment. )
• An electric furnace is considered to be 100% efficient, period. An electric furnace built in 1975 or 1989, or 2008, all are 100% efficient.
• ( A gas furnace constructed in 1975 was 70 % efficient, 1985 was 80% efficient, 1995 was 90% efficient, 2005 was 95% efficient. )

If the electric furnace is working and all heating strips are functioning, there is little reason to replace it.

To increase the efficiency of an electric furnace, add a heat pump. A heat pump comes in a variety of efficiency levels. Of course, the higher the efficiency, the higher the cost. The higher efficiency models often qualify for tax credits and rebates.

To keep things in perspective, my F350 1 ton is an electric furnace, my 2.0 Focus is a heat pump. They both get you down the road where you want to go, but one takes a lot less energy and money.

Of course, a kid is a lot more expensive than a vehicle, ought to just keep both of them in the garage…Don Ames

I recently had a heat pump added to a 20 kW electric furnace in a triple wide manufactured home. The homeowners have reported an approximate $150.00 a month reduction in their electric bill during the months of November and December. This home is in Oregon, so November and December are heating days. When your electric bill goes from $350 a month to $200 you feel pretty good and warm all over.

I will admit, that during the previous summer, air sealing was done to this home to close gaps in the exterior siding and to close openings around the belly band and block foundation. Cost of the air sealing by a licensed contractor was $514.00.

Cost of the heat pump, including electrical drop and permits, was about $3,850.00. The heat pump was a 2 ton, 15 SEER ( seasonal energy efficiency rating ) 8.5 HSPF ( heating seasonal performance factor ) unit that qualified for an incentive payment by the local electric company.

Oh yea, we should not forget, another nice return on the heat pump will be the summertime air conditioning. In the summer, they will feel pretty good and cool all over!

Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, hope you will come back soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…