View Single Post
Old 04-02-16, 04:49 PM   #11
jeff5may
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA
Posts: 2,428
Thanks: 431
Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts
Send a message via Yahoo to jeff5may
Default

Wow, what a load of information! Please post some pics or drawings to keep everyone's feet on the ground. There is WAY too much described here to not imagine some kind if "Chitty chitty bang bang" sort of living arrangement. I do see you made no mention of a windmill... Sounds like you have quite a unique setup installed and operating already.


The garage is very interesting to me. The way you described it makes it seem a good fit for annualized heat storage. The mass and insulation are there, as is the conduit for heat transfer. Usage and comfort may be compromised during certain situations, so it depends on how much it is actively being occupied to determine feasibility. The space sounds to have great potential.

I am assuming that your heating needs dominate your utility bills. If so, adding solar pv and/or thermal collectors will definitely offset your gas usage. Since a boiler is already present, a "steam back" solar collection array seems to be a natural winner.

A typical DHW system

Your system obviously differs from the above rig. You have a gas powered boiler and multiple heating zones, in addition to DHW. However, the basic 2-tank steamback system could be a proven starting point to modify for your specific home.


Last edited by jeff5may; 04-03-16 at 10:19 AM.. Reason: grammar, spelling, info
jeff5may is offline   Reply With Quote