2014 new years resolutions / goals
 

Last year I wanted to get my office and solar hot water setup done... well progress was made, but neither are done yet. So, I am going to go with those two again. If I get to another thing that is awesome haha.

I will add that I want to keep my energy use at or below the current level it was at this year. This is going to be tricky, but I think with some effort doable. It will be a lot easier if I get the solar hot water setup done as that'll save some pretty serious electric usage (and coin too yay).

So, what are some of your goals for this coming year?

I have accumulated a number of components/pieces to put together a small PV system to provide some of our home lighting. This year I would like to complete this system, especially because of the ice storm that has struck our neighbours south of us in the Toronto area. I think that at least having light during outages must be comforting.

I want to continue to add things to conserve power. I want to get closer to NetZero. To do this I need to carry more net metering solar credits from the summer to winter.

Finish my ASHP to WSHP conversion and build myself some solar panels with ebay cells. Getting close to being off grid and it is an amazing feeling.

Anyone else?

To summarize, its solar, then the start of a long term plan of superinsulation retrofit.

I have family and friends who have said to upgrade to the condensing furnace and new AC first but I have different plans, ones that will pay off even more than exchanging the current equipment and without the huge upgrade cost. I already know that I've saved more in air sealing so far than what the upgrade from a 1985 natural draft furnace to a condensing furnace can do. I think I'll continue with the same furnace and use it as the test bed to see if skipping the natural gas entirely will allow me to pay less money in total.

I have too much to list, when I get the time I'm going to create a thread. I had a previous new year's thread of a new smaller home built to the standard of a 5000BTUhr heat load. I've determined that building a new home isn't really what I want, the commission costs of selling the house feels wasteful and I like the house I'm in now so it makes more sense to me to work with what I have. More to come in another thread.

Insulation and air sealing. The meager improvements I made the previous winter paid off so well I intend to finish the job this year.

I bought the house in 1998, started a major remodel in 2000, and it is still a work in progress. My long term resolution is to never again buy a project house.

my resolution is to stop procrastinating, I'm going to start next week or the week after that.:thumbup:

I have a possible opportunity to get a huge amount of surplus materials from a job.
I have a plan in mind for a huge shop. I'd dig in geothermal heat for both the house and the shop when I had the excavator here.
It all hinges on getting approval from the county, and getting the materials.

I plan to build the staircase in our never-ending barn project, add insulation in the downstairs ceiling/upstairs floor and get the subfloor installed. I'll throw in roughing in the plumbing for the upstairs utility sink for extra credit.