Quote:
Originally Posted by AC_Hacker
As I recall, you installed a mini split or two. This insulation you've put in should bring your house to within 'shooting range' of your mini split(s).
-AC
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I'm already within shooting range of their capacity. The load of the house at -5° as it stands is 18,750 BTU/hour and my heat pumps are each 3/4 ton. I think the stupid electric bill I got for January had more to do with how I ran them; that is only for a little in the morning and evening. It works fine for line gas. The mini splits don't seem to like (or rather my electric bill doesn't seem to like) raising the temperature. The thing is that line gas is so cheap these days that using the heat pumps doesn't make financial sense. I'm just going to insulate the house so much that I don't need to think about heat. Hopefully by next winter heating DHW will use more energy that heating the house. At least that's what the estimates I've gotten tell me. I have two things going against me. The first is that the orientation of my house is East/West so solar gain is sub par. The second is that I'm a penniless philosopher in the slow (well maybe not so slow) process of becoming indigent because I currently hold the not so remunerative occupation of "Residential Building Envelope Whole House Air Leakage Installer". Basically I get paid in good will and four figures annually with the occasional case of beer or home made brownie.
My electric company has a DER rebate program. I'm going to see if I can borrow money from.... well, someone.... to finish the top floor this summer with the hopes that the National Grid DER incentive will reimburse me for most of it. There are 0% loans one can take to do certain kinds of work on their houses in New England. It would be great if it were easier for those of lower incomes to get these loans. The payment would be less than most utility bills in the winter and the ROI would probably only be a decade or so! A great quote I saw on GBA recently (I forget who said it. One of the long time green builders out here) "In 20 years your $100,000 kitchen looks 20 years old. In 20 years your super insulation looks better and better".
But! For the faint of heart, I have know how and I have gumption!