1st step toward energy independence should be,

Every new home be built with a series of pipes resting below the freeze line.

All year you could have comfortable air blowing in/out?

Pros/Cons?

quote:

Originally posted by BuckDawg1946:
1st step toward energy independence should be,

Every new home be built with a series of pipes resting below the freeze line.

All year you could have comfortable air blowing in/out?

Pros/Cons?

How about all New homes just have Solar panels built into them?

We just bought a new wood furnace this year but I checked out geothermal heating first. It's kind of a crock of crap. You still need a secondary heating source.

The idea is that the ground temperature (below the frost line) remains relatively constant and therefore you can place water pipes in the ground which then circulate the ground temperature into your home, giving you a nice, constant temp. The problem is that that constant temp is usually around 50 degrees. That's all well and good for cooling but in the winter you'll need a secondary heat source to heat from 50 degrees up to a comfortable room temp.

It's pretty expensive to install, you need a secondary heat source and you still need to power the pump to circulate the water. It's not as good as it sounds.

quote:

How about all New homes just have Solar panels built into them?

Pro: renewable for the next 5 billion years, zero emission.

Con: Startup cost is high. Government incentive is needed to lower the cost. Other countries worldwide do it, I believe germany gets 11% of their energy via solar panels.

quote:

The problem is that that constant temp is usually around 50 degrees. That's all well and good for cooling but in the winter you'll need a secondary heat source to heat from 50 degrees up to a comfortable room temp

It is not the end all. What it will do is relieve the burden of,

1 the high cost of warming your house in the winter,

2 coolin your house in the summer time.

50 degrees feels warm when it is 20 outside, it feels cool when it is 90. This can relieve energy costs.

Originally they were called heat pumps and everyone hated them because they were not very good, especially in the winter. You still need another heat source in the winter, although you're heating a warmer source.

quote:

50 degrees feels warm when it is 20 outside,

Yeah, for about 5 minutes...

IMO

we need to think infrstructure. In this 21st century people should not have to worry about their gas/water/electrcity being shut off.

These are basic necessities most take for granted.

Anyone ever see a home with two hot water tanks? This is a great idea.

The first one isn't plugged in or using electricity, it is just holding 100 gallons of water at room (or basement) temperature.

When the real hot water heater kicks in, it is drawing water that is already at 75 degrees.

I agree with the solar panel comment as well. There should be tax credits and a home should be built with at least a couple. They will pay themselves off if tied into the mortgage and provide some electricity in case of a power outage or catastrophe. There's no excuses on this one, and once they become mass produced the price is going to fall substantially.

quote:

Originally posted by BuckDawg1946:
IMO

we need to think infrstructure. In this 21st century people should not have to worry about their gas/water/electrcity being shut off.

These are basic necessities most take for granted.

That's true, most take these things for granted but if your electricity is shut off the geothermal heating will not work. Electric powers the pump that circulates the water.

quote:

Anyone ever see a home with two hot water tanks? This is a great idea.

I've never seen a home that uses two hot water tanks in this exact manner but I checked out a "Gasification Wood Furnace" that uses a similar method. You have the option to buy the extra "holding tank" and use it like this. It's a really good idea.

I have a really "green" idea for the true huggers. Open your windows like your parents did growing up. I don't consider air conditioning a necessity.

For the record.. I just moved and my new house doesn't have A/C. It's not that bad, people are just spoiled.

For the record #2.. I miss my air conditioning

^^^I've never had air conditioning and I can count the number of times I've used the A/C in my car on one hand.

I just moved back north from Florida so the heats not bothering me much. I wasn't criticizing the use of air conditioning. If I had it, I would be using it.

I just think it's funny when we get going on energy debates regarding "necessities" which are really luxuries.

^^^I know what you were saying. I was just implying that I don't get the whole A/C thing. To me you just suck it up.

"It's hot outside."

Here, let me hold your purse while you fan your fragile self.

Man up, people.

It's a little different down here in South Florida. I haven't turned on the heat (furnace) since I left Cleveland.

A/C might be a luxury to you guys, but down here it is just as important as the heat is up North.

We literally go 100 straight days w/out ever falling below 70 degrees...and I'm talking about the LOW temp, not the high.

quote:

Originally posted by DON QUIXOTE:
It's a little different down here in South Florida. I haven't turned on the heat (furnace) since I left Cleveland.

A/C might be a luxury to you guys, but down here it is just as important as the heat is up North.

We literally go 100 straight days w/out ever falling below 70 degrees...and I'm talking about the LOW temp, not the high.

...AND you have hurricanes. What a crappy place to live.

Well, we are the opposite, you talk about a fernace, I would rather brave the cold, put some clothes on, or sleep under stuff and adjust that way then deal with the heat.

You can't do anything to make yourself cool.

So man up and scrap the heat?

quote:

Originally posted by TonyB1972:
Well, we are the opposite, you talk about a fernace, I would rather brave the cold, put some clothes on, or sleep under stuff and adjust that way then deal with the heat.

You can't do anything to make yourself cool.

So man up and scrap the heat?

Touche.

But seriously, if it were up to me I'd keep it just warm enough that the pipes wouldn't freeze.

Unfortunately, my wife is a pansy.

quote:

Originally posted by LBJVirus:

quote:

Originally posted by BuckDawg1946:
1st step toward energy independence should be,

Every new home be built with a series of pipes resting below the freeze line.

All year you could have comfortable air blowing in/out?

Pros/Cons?

How about all New homes just have Solar panels built into them?

Good ideas, as long as they are not manditory... I'm all about freedom to do what we want with OUR homes.

quote:

Originally posted by SnowDawg88:
That's true, most take these things for granted but if your electricity is shut off the geothermal heating will not work. Electric powers the pump that circulates the water.

Or you could have a large "Hamster Wheel" that you run around on!!

I never turn on the heat (North/Central Ohio) and it really pisses off the old lady. But I run the central air in the summer, I hate the heat and it's horrible on your computer to run it in heat/humidity. If we were really short on money I would suffer through, but I work hard for the little niceities like central air!

quote:

Originally posted by SnowDawg88:
Touche.

But seriously, if it were up to me I'd keep it just warm enough that the pipes wouldn't freeze.

Unfortunately, my wife is a pansy.

So why do you need a second heating source for geothermal? I'm pretty sure the 50-55 degrees that geo runs will prevent the pipes from freezing.

I don't know why you are so hard on geo thermal. Yes, it is very pricey, but you essentially get free cooling in the summer, and in the winter you are heating from 50-55 degrees as opposed to possibly negative temps in the winter. A big con is that it is pricey as most units will run you about $14,000. But my cousin built a 4,500 sq. ft house around the Toledo Area and his worst heating/electric bills (no gas in the house) was approximately $175 a month. For a house that size and including all electric in that, I think that's pretty amazing. I was living in a 1,000 sq ft apartment and my worst heating/electic month was around $210.