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Old 01-30-12, 11:20 AM   #31
zick
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This is just for the GSHP which is a Waterfurnace Synergy 3D 5ton unit.

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Old 01-30-12, 05:10 PM   #32
randen
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Thumbs up Geo-thermal is the best

We have had geothermal since 2008. It is a great system. We actually have three. 1./ water to water for the infloor heat 2./ Water to air for air-conditioning and a little supplimental heat when its snapping cold and windy.
3./The third unit is one that I had made. Its in my shop for heating and airconditioning. You can check that out on the heatpump manifesto. For us its been a life saver. Oil was going through the roof. One neat thing is you can install a geothermal and being it operates with electricity you can power it with solar and wind power and be completely self sufficient. I recommend geothermal highly.

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Old 02-06-12, 05:40 PM   #33
Plantman
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Default Love my geothermal

I have a 3.5 ton geothermal system in a 3000 sq ft cape cod plus a full basement. I use my existing well in my open loop system. My outflow fills my 0.25 acre pond, then flows into the soil, which is very sandy. In N indiana, my bill in the coldest months may hit $250. My house is well insulated with 6in walls. I also have many south facing windows and only one on the north side. Unit cost $8000 installed plus a $2000 tax credit. My house is all electric, so the cost includes hot water, lighting, cooking, TV, computers, etc. I also pump water to a 15 x 75 ft greenhouse in the spring and summer. In 2009, I spent $1500 for 15831kwh for the entire year. The house was only 2200 sq ft then. I have since put on an addition. Considering adding solar space heating using hot water, but my costs are so low now, I will need a good ROI to make it worthwhile.
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Old 02-06-12, 05:53 PM   #34
Plantman
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Default Love my geothermal

I have a 3.5 ton geothermal system in a 3000 sq ft cape cod plus a full basement. I use my existing well in my open loop system. My outflow fills my 0.25 acre pond, then flows into the soil, which is very sandy. In N indiana, my bill in the coldest months may hit $250. My house is well insulated with 6in walls. I also have many south facing windows and only one on the north side. Unit cost $8000 installed plus a $2000 tax credit. My house is all electric, so the cost includes hot water, lighting, cooking, TV, computers, etc. I also pump water to a 15 x 75 ft greenhouse in the spring and summer. In 2009, I spent $1500 for 15831kwh for the entire year. The house was only 2200 sq ft then. I have since put on an addition. Considering adding solar space heating using hot water, but my costs are so low now, I will need a good ROI to make it worthwhile.
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Old 02-06-12, 08:24 PM   #35
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Default Return on investment

Plantman

Considering adding solar space heating using hot water, but my costs are so low now, I will need a good ROI to make it worthwhile.

Its odd, the same words tumbled from my mouth 15 yrs ago about heating my home with furnace oil. The problem is the cost of energy always goes up. Solar hot water heating is known to be the best for return on investment. The hot water you use will always be heated for nothing with solar and it is a large portion of a homes energy bill. If you are so inclined I would recommend installing a system you will likely have you ROI in about 5 yrs. as the cost of electrical power could almost double in that time.

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Old 02-06-12, 10:09 PM   #36
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" as the cost of electrical power could almost double in that time." (5 yrs.)


I've heard that electricity demand is decreasing these days, with all the
new green home appliances and lighting..


These post 2009 "projections" are likely a bit high..




Seems like our demand for oil has dropped quite a bit during the last few years.


Recently, it looks like the USA is down-sizing. Since much of that industrial production is exported.
Going to countries where they are building up their infrastructure, instead of letting it fall into decay.

The cost of power from NStar (local power co) dropped a few years ago.
I was using an alternate supplier (paying more), but now I'm back using
NStar, and paying less than I did 4 or 5 years ago..


The price of oil going up will pull up the cost of producing electricity in this area,
but it might not get very high during this decade.
For one thing, I believe that states regulate utilities..
And, elected state workers, always want to get re-elected..
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Old 02-07-12, 08:12 AM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xringer View Post
" as the cost of electrical power could almost double in that time." (5 yrs.)


I've heard that electricity demand is decreasing these days, with all the
new green home appliances and lighting..

Yet we have power companies around us that have just recently asked to raise their rates...I guess they need to make up for the decrease in energy consumption.
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Old 02-07-12, 10:38 AM   #38
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We will need to make our politicians understand that it would be bad to punish us,
for conserving power and saving the planet..

Since the nanny-state government is the driving force behind power conservation,
(trying to save us from ourselfs) they will need to stand firm against rate-hikes
from those fat-cat billionaire power company stock holders!
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Old 02-07-12, 03:40 PM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xringer View Post
We will need to make our politicians understand that it would be bad to punish us,
for conserving power and saving the planet..

Since the nanny-state government is the driving force behind power conservation,
(trying to save us from ourselfs) they will need to stand firm against rate-hikes
from those fat-cat billionaire power company stock holders!
Xringer,

Congratulations on sucessfully hijacking yet another thread!

-AC_Hacker
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Old 02-07-12, 05:38 PM   #40
AlanE
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xringer View Post
Since the nanny-state government is the driving force behind power conservation,
(trying to save us from ourselfs) they will need to stand firm against rate-hikes
from those fat-cat billionaire power company stock holders!
I called my local building inspector with a question yesterday after reading one of the threads on this board. I can buy insulated roll shutters for less money than I can buy new windows which meet the new energy-conservation related mandates in the building code. I wanted to know if the combination of recycled aluminum double-paned windows in conjuction with insulated roll shutters would pass the building code threshold. No dice says the building inspector because those recycled windows don't have a thermal break and it doesn't matter that the roll shutters+windows surpass the performance of new windows by themselves.

Those (&#(&*%^ Nannies in government are using laws to control behavior of people in their own homes by restricting their choices. The above is just one example. The inspector told me that he'd be concerned that the performance couldn't be guaranteed because people might not roll down their shutters. I countered that an insulated window isn't very effective if it is popped open and allows heat to escape the building. Then stymied he countered with the old windows are a unit and that the lack of a method to break the thermal bridge is really the crux of the problem. I countered with the fact that the windows/shutters are also a system and the air space between window and shutter is the break in the thermal bridge.

My position is simply this - these nannies have no business mandating performance targets in home construction. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. There is no net benefit created by allowing a Hummer driver to drive his Hummer all about town while his home has high performance windows, or allowing a Greenie to live with his high performance windows as he regularly flies thousands of miles many times per year so that he can go skiing in the Rockies, hiking the Appalachian Trail, kayak the Galapagos, etc while denying another person the freedom to put recycled windows into his home while that person might be a bike rider and an otherwise stinchy energy user. (This person isn't me but I'm sure that there are such people out there.) Energy prices are a better sorting mechanism to drive reform, not centrally planned restrictions on consumer choices.

I can't see a reason why the windows+shutters combination shouldn't be allowed. In fact, I don't see a reason why Nannies need to be involved at all. If people want to make the personal decision to save money on the front end purchase of windows and pay for increased monthly heating expenses, then it's their money to spend. Mandating higher installation costs pushes housing costs, on the margin, ever higher, and again on the margin, shuts people out of the housing market. How is a person better off not being able to buy a home than buying a home which is less energy efficient that some target held in the minds and wishes of these Big Government Nannies?

Hey, how did I end up standing on this soapbox? Whoops, I better step off. Sorry for the rant.

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