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Old 12-14-11, 11:21 AM   #31
AC_Hacker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xringer View Post
But, "domestic water heat recovery" for space heating??
The heat recovered from domestic water is usually used for pre-heating incoming water. However, it would be possible to use a very small vapor compression machine to recover heat from domestic water, as well as recover heat from outgoing ventilation air, and yes this heat could be a contribution to the overall heating load.

There already are off-the-shelf units in Europe ('combi units') that recover heat from outgoing ventilation air.

Needless to say, these units would not be appropriate for a home that has high heat loss due to uncontrolled infiltration and insufficient insulation.

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Maybe, if you live in one of those Zero heat loss houses.
Hopefully, it is not necessary to explain to you that there are no zero heat loss houses...

But there are extremely low heat loss houses, and there are many people right here at EcoRenovator who are working purposely and intelligently to reduce their heat loss to very low levels.

The reasons for people doing this are varied...
  • Comfort that results from living in a warm draft-free home.
  • Reduced operating costs because of reduced energy consumption.
  • Reduced contribution of CO2 to shared global air.
  • And lastly, many people are beginning to realize that the energy they use is directly tied to destruction of the environment and reduction of quality of life for someone else. An example of this would be the mining of coal (the primary source of electricity) in West Virginia with techniques of 'mountain top removal'.


Here is an example of the results of mountain top removal... These were formerly beautiful green tree-covered mountains in West Virginia. Not only is this land being devastated, but the lives of people living directly in this area, and much further down-wind and down-stream are being very seriously degraded.

To make light of the seriousness of energy and resource reduction, and of "green" philosophies and goals, is to be in denial of this reality.

-AC_Hacker

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Old 12-15-11, 01:01 PM   #32
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If we didn't have so many NIMBY folks, we wouldn't need coal, and very little oil..

Is Thorium the Biggest Energy Breakthrough Since Fire? Possibly. - Forbes

Of course a government that wants a big supply of nuclear bomb making materials isn't helping much either.
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Old 12-26-11, 09:27 PM   #33
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Concept of Geo-solar hybrid heating cooling, not the earth room ( filled with bottles of water & heat pump installed) Massive storage tanks, but one of the most intriguing system. A lot here to look at in the Green Garage wiki
Geo-Solar Hybrid Heating and Cooling - GreenGarageWiki
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Old 12-26-11, 10:03 PM   #34
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Concept of Geo-solar hybrid heating cooling...
I took a look at the Wiki link. All good ideas, most of them I am pretty familiar with and very interested in.

I wish the Wiki page had it's information more developed. As it is, it is a collection of ideas, and not much more.

But a Wiki is by nature a software to allow collection of information and collaboration.

kbonk,

Are you really interested in this hybrid idea?

Do you have other information and links along this line?

Maybe you should start a thread on this topic, because it is so much more than the tempering of incoming fresh air...

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Old 12-27-11, 11:18 AM   #35
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Ac there are also construction documents in the wiki which show the construction process and some more engineering data. I just always wondered why not put a heat pump in the basement? the earth room concept tied to the earth tubes can a "sweet spot for the heat pump" stabilizing or increasing its efficiency
This building just came online about three maybe 6 months ago
Wil add more info as I find it.
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Old 12-27-11, 01:59 PM   #36
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...the construction process and some more engineering data.
I don't have time right now to go through this thoroughly, but for starters, in the super-insulation section, there is mention of WUFI modeling.

This Wiki could be a real inspiration and a template for sustainable initiatives around the world if ideas like this were fleshed out. It just happens that I know what WUFI is, but I doubt that many other people do. It would also be extremely useful, and not so much extra work, if the actual WUFI models were available for download so that we could see exactly how you did it and easily adapt it to our own efforts.


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I just always wondered why not put a heat pump in the basement? the earth room concept tied to the earth tubes can a "sweet spot for the heat pump" stabilizing or increasing its efficiency
The basement is exactly where the heat pump belongs, because:
  • It is protected from weather, thus extending it's life.
  • Heat leakage from the compressor is added to the 'plus side' of heat available for the building.
  • It is protected from vandals & thieves.

Having the compressor outside (as in a mini-split) is sub-optimal.

Looks like a good project you have there.

I hope the detail of the presentation makes it a great project.

There is an 'open source' project that seems to me to be related to what you are doing, here is the link to it.

It is a project that I also think is absolutely bursting with potential.

So far, however, I don't see any 'there' there.

I am a total believer in open source, and although I didn't call it by that name, I intended the Homemade Heat Pump Manifesto to be exactly that, information made freely available, with no hooks, such that anyone with gumption and some tools could build their own.

I wish you the best on this project... Keep us all posted.

-AC_Hacker

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