Hello from Woburn MA

Xringer · 02-04-09, 05:47 PM

I'm an old retired guy that's trying different things to save money on energy.

I've done some mods on my car and my home heating system that seem
to work a little.

So, now that we've insulated our largest heat leaks,
I'm looking at making big changes in the way we cool & heat our
home, by investing in a 24,000 BTU mini-split ductless heat pump unit.

My research shows that the newer inverter type mini-split heat pumps can
provide heat at much lower temperatures than regular heat pumps.
(They seem to be almost as good as Geothermal heatpumps).

My plan would be to heat using the mini-split , if the temps are not too
cold (above 20F) and use the old oil heating system when it gets really chilly.

And of course we would switch to AC mode in the summer as needed.

My other main interest is adding some solar PV to offset the cost of running
the new mini-split.

Since it eats about 1KWh per 12,000 BTUh, I think that a 1KW PV system
could be a big help. A 2KW system would be sweet!

Cheers,
Rich

SVOboy · 02-04-09, 06:06 PM

Welcome to ecorenovator!

Daox · 02-04-09, 06:09 PM

Welcome to the site Xringer. I hope to hear more about this upgrade!

02-04-09, 05:47 PM	#1
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Hello from Woburn MA I'm an old retired guy that's trying different things to save money on energy. I've done some mods on my car and my home heating system that seem to work a little. So, now that we've insulated our largest heat leaks, I'm looking at making big changes in the way we cool & heat our home, by investing in a 24,000 BTU mini-split ductless heat pump unit. My research shows that the newer inverter type mini-split heat pumps can provide heat at much lower temperatures than regular heat pumps. (They seem to be almost as good as Geothermal heatpumps). My plan would be to heat using the mini-split , if the temps are not too cold (above 20F) and use the old oil heating system when it gets really chilly. And of course we would switch to AC mode in the summer as needed. My other main interest is adding some solar PV to offset the cost of running the new mini-split. Since it eats about 1KWh per 12,000 BTUh, I think that a 1KW PV system could be a big help. A 2KW system would be sweet! Cheers, Rich

02-04-09, 06:06 PM	#2
SVOboy Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 291 Thanks: 3 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Welcome to ecorenovator!

02-04-09, 06:09 PM	#3
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Welcome to the site Xringer. I hope to hear more about this upgrade!