Comments on: Saving Energy with a Heat Pump http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm Building Wealth through Saving and Investing Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:13:35 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Brian http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-110546 Brian Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:25:54 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-110546 A day late and a dollar short, but I would argue the benefits of a heat pump are wildly overstated. I live in Indianapolis, Indiana and was told my heat pump would pay for itself in 6-10 years by supplanting my gas-powered furnace for temps anything north of 35 F. One problem with that scenario. The "wildly escalating cost of natural gas" they scared me about never came to pass. And so, instead of paying 30-40 cents per hour for my natural-gas furnace to heat my house when temps are in the 35-65 degrees F range, I pay the electric company $1.50-$1.75 per hour. A day late and a dollar short, but I would argue the benefits of a heat pump are wildly overstated. I live in Indianapolis, Indiana and was told my heat pump would pay for itself in 6-10 years by supplanting my gas-powered furnace for temps anything north of 35 F. One problem with that scenario. The “wildly escalating cost of natural gas” they scared me about never came to pass. And so, instead of paying 30-40 cents per hour for my natural-gas furnace to heat my house when temps are in the 35-65 degrees F range, I pay the electric company $1.50-$1.75 per hour.

]]> By: GS http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-77024 GS Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:18:28 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-77024 I bought a $2000 geothermal unit, and cut a large hole on the side of my existing oil furnace, which I now use as a backup heatsouce, attached the heatpump and connected it onto the existing ductwork. I plumbed it with some plastic pipe to use water (@ 45 F) from my existing well, and its handles all my heating unless it gets extremely cold (-25 celcius or colder) then the oil furnace comes on and helps out a bit. Compared to just oil heating its about half the expense, so payback is probably under 5 years. I guessed on the size of the unit for heating, so in air conditioning mode its probably a little too excessive (it cycles off/on more often) I bought a $2000 geothermal unit, and cut a large hole on the side of my existing oil furnace, which I now use as a backup heatsouce, attached the heatpump and connected it onto the existing ductwork. I plumbed it with some plastic pipe to use water (@ 45 F) from my existing well, and its handles all my heating unless it gets extremely cold (-25 celcius or colder) then the oil furnace comes on and helps out a bit. Compared to just oil heating its about half the expense, so payback is probably under 5 years. I guessed on the size of the unit for heating, so in air conditioning mode its probably a little too excessive (it cycles off/on more often)

]]> By: Ms Save Money http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-73763 Ms Save Money Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:59:54 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-73763 Yes, having a heat pump would definitely help to save some money. Anyway, I just moved into another house - and I'm looking around to see what I can save money one. Anyone have any ideas? Yes, having a heat pump would definitely help to save some money.
Anyway, I just moved into another house – and I’m looking around to see what I can save money one. Anyone have any ideas?

]]> By: DAvid http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-69048 DAvid Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:37:48 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-69048 allanbassenden: It varies, and on most heat pumps can be set to different temperatures, based on the costs of the fuels (it may be cheaper to run an 80% efficency furnace for 10 minutes than a 150% efficient heat pump for 30 minutes). In addition, most thermostats have a comfort function. If the house does not warm fast enough when heat is called for, the aux heat is turned on. You might be best to contact your supplier. DAvid allanbassenden:
It varies, and on most heat pumps can be set to different temperatures, based on the costs of the fuels (it may be cheaper to run an 80% efficency furnace for 10 minutes than a 150% efficient heat pump for 30 minutes). In addition, most thermostats have a comfort function. If the house does not warm fast enough when heat is called for, the aux heat is turned on.

You might be best to contact your supplier.

DAvid

]]> By: allanbassenden http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-69040 allanbassenden Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:16:07 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-69040 What tempature outside should heatpump stop working cold and elect furance backup come on tks allan What tempature outside should heatpump stop working cold and elect furance backup come on tks allan

]]> By: The Best Heat Pump Systems http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-67200 The Best Heat Pump Systems Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:52:01 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-67200 interesting article ! interesting article !

]]> By: Darby http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-65161 Darby Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:27:21 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-65161 I recently installed a Goodman 13 SEER unit in Saint John, New Brunswick. I'm running it at 18.5 C during unoccupied times and 20 C during occupied. I installed this unit after my first year in the house and previously had oil. At a cost of $1600 for oil last year I didn't want to repeat that. My install cost was around $3600 (Heat Pump, Air handler, plumbing, electrical and new HP thermostat) The unit has worked great so far, it cost me ~ $50 last month to heat, I would have spent about $200 in oil by this time last year. (to be fair I have installed some new windows as well - some savings can be contributed to that) As I write this it's - 3.5C (white-out conditions) and the only time the electric back-up comes on is during defrost cycle. In conclusion I would highly recomend installing a HP, especially if you already have the ducting, I.E. replacing an old oil furnace. But as Lakedweller says, the first thing to do it tighten up the house and definatly get an enery audit. (ripping off the siding to install foam might be a bit extreme, but if you do do it go with an isocyanurate foam (R6/in)) I recently installed a Goodman 13 SEER unit in Saint John, New Brunswick. I’m running it at 18.5 C during unoccupied times and 20 C during occupied. I installed this unit after my first year in the house and previously had oil. At a cost of $1600 for oil last year I didn’t want to repeat that. My install cost was around $3600 (Heat Pump, Air handler, plumbing, electrical and new HP thermostat) The unit has worked great so far, it cost me ~ $50 last month to heat, I would have spent about $200 in oil by this time last year. (to be fair I have installed some new windows as well – some savings can be contributed to that)
As I write this it’s – 3.5C (white-out conditions) and the only time the electric back-up comes on is during defrost cycle.
In conclusion I would highly recomend installing a HP, especially if you already have the ducting, I.E. replacing an old oil furnace.
But as Lakedweller says, the first thing to do it tighten up the house and definatly get an enery audit. (ripping off the siding to install foam might be a bit extreme, but if you do do it go with an isocyanurate foam (R6/in))

]]> By: Don http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-65063 Don Sun, 21 Dec 2008 02:26:47 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-65063 I installed an air heat pump this fall and have been very impressed so far. It is hooked in with my hotair oil furnace which is 25yrs old. As I am typing this reply the outside temp is -11c with a wind chill of -18c (10---m4f). The unit runs for 94min and off for 7. When it goes down to -12c it will run non stop and colder then that it will lose and will require the oil heat to kick on. So far when it was -15c the oil heat ran for 10min and shut off then the heat pump was able to hold it for 60 to 70 min. I set the temp at 69 day and 68 night. The info you read that they are not efficient below freezing is very old school. My unit uses 2kwh per hour when it runs non stop. So far I have used about 10L of oil this winter. My oil usage is going to drop 85% and my total cost will be half. I installed an air heat pump this fall and have been very impressed so far. It is hooked in with my hotair oil furnace which is 25yrs old. As I am typing this reply the outside temp is -11c with a wind chill of -18c (10—m4f). The unit runs for 94min and off for 7. When it goes down to -12c it will run non stop and colder then that it will lose and will require the oil heat to kick on. So far when it was -15c the oil heat ran for 10min and shut off then the heat pump was able to hold it for 60 to 70 min. I set the temp at 69 day and 68 night. The info you read that they are not efficient below freezing is very old school. My unit uses 2kwh per hour when it runs non stop. So far I have used about 10L of oil this winter. My oil usage is going to drop 85% and my total cost will be half.

]]> By: Lakedweller http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-64560 Lakedweller Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:31:10 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-64560 I must preface with my location, Central Alberta, to provide some context to my comments. It is "heating season" from September/October to May (8 months of the year) so I don't think about the expense of cooling my house, just how to reduce the amount of heat lost. And of course reducing electricity consumption. I have conducted considerable research into the best heating system to use in my 2 storey, 2400 sq ft house. The exciting fact is that there are a lot of options, as everyone has indicated above. And boy, would I love to have a massive solar heating array on the south side of my house. But dollar for dollar it is so much more productive to invest in reducing heat loss than to build heat generation. Here is a list of projects that will get you farther with less investment: 1. Hire an energy auditor to come and inspect your house. In Alberta, the analysis was subsidized for a few years, so it only cost $100. I think it is still less than $300 without the subsidy. The auditor will complete a blower door test, essentially reducing the pressure in your house and using the negative pressure to show where the air leaks are. This is absolutely the best bang for your buck!!! Common air leak locations include where the gas and electricity enter the house, around power outlets/switches, poorly sealed doors and windows, the attic hatch, cracks in the exposed foundation. 2. If your house is more than 10 years old, rip off the siding and add a layer of vapor barrier and insulation. Not the insulation you use in your walls, but the blue "hi-40" board sheets. Focus on window openings and at the foundation. This can "generate" 10% increases in efficiency in heat loss. ***Remember, these are not flashy solutions. Nobody will drive by your house and say "Wow, Fred really invested a lot of money into his new heating system".*** 3. Get every one of your heating systems on a programmable timer. Obvious, but not follwed for most marginal systems like underfloor heating. 4. My wife decides how hot the hot water heater is set because its her bath that creates the greatest demand on the HWT. To minimize heating more water than necessary or making it hotter than required, I ask her to fill her bath with only the hot water tap on. That saves me about 15% per month. (I have apppliances, dishwasher and washing machine, that heat water as required, so hotter water isn't necessary for cleaning purposes.) 5. Completely remove the gas or wood burning fireplace. I am speaking from my experience with poorly sealed gas and wood fireplaces. If you are really thinking about efficiency, this is a sacrifice worth making. And you might be able to recoup the costs by selling the fireplace to someone more estheticly focused. Fireplaces are poorly insulated because of fire regulations (which are a good thing) so they allow cold air in when not in use and use heated air as combustion air when in use (so you end up heating the air twice). 6. The other result you may get from an energy audit (if you hire an excellent consultant) is an indication of whether your ventilation system is balanced. There are heat registers (air flows out) and air intakes throughout the house. There should also be two vents that draws air from outside, one is for fresh air and the other (called a damper) is for combustion in the furnace and HWT (gas). Make sure you are drawing air from both the outside vents when the furnace is working, and not drawing air when its not working. A simple gate flap can be installed on the fresh air intake to minimize unintended air exchange. The same can be done with the "damper". 7. Continuing with the ventilation system, it is important to make sure the system is a closed system. Make sure vent piping is sealed all the way from the furnace to where it comes out of the vent in the floor. Remove the vent cover. Can you see into the joists around the vent opening. That is where some of your heat is escaping to. Same thing with fresh air intakes. These are usually not ducted so you have to be extra suspicious of the materials used to channel air back to the furnace. A $5 roll of duct tape (not the "Red Green" stuff, the shiny sticky foil tape) will pay for itself in about two weeks in January!!! I must preface with my location, Central Alberta, to provide some context to my comments. It is “heating season” from September/October to May (8 months of the year) so I don’t think about the expense of cooling my house, just how to reduce the amount of heat lost. And of course reducing electricity consumption.

I have conducted considerable research into the best heating system to use in my 2 storey, 2400 sq ft house. The exciting fact is that there are a lot of options, as everyone has indicated above. And boy, would I love to have a massive solar heating array on the south side of my house.

But dollar for dollar it is so much more productive to invest in reducing heat loss than to build heat generation.

Here is a list of projects that will get you farther with less investment:

1. Hire an energy auditor to come and inspect your house. In Alberta, the analysis was subsidized for a few years, so it only cost $100. I think it is still less than $300 without the subsidy. The auditor will complete a blower door test, essentially reducing the pressure in your house and using the negative pressure to show where the air leaks are. This is absolutely the best bang for your buck!!! Common air leak locations include where the gas and electricity enter the house, around power outlets/switches, poorly sealed doors and windows, the attic hatch, cracks in the exposed foundation.

2. If your house is more than 10 years old, rip off the siding and add a layer of vapor barrier and insulation. Not the insulation you use in your walls, but the blue “hi-40″ board sheets. Focus on window openings and at the foundation. This can “generate” 10% increases in efficiency in heat loss.

***Remember, these are not flashy solutions. Nobody will drive by your house and say “Wow, Fred really invested a lot of money into his new heating system”.***

3. Get every one of your heating systems on a programmable timer. Obvious, but not follwed for most marginal systems like underfloor heating.

4. My wife decides how hot the hot water heater is set because its her bath that creates the greatest demand on the HWT. To minimize heating more water than necessary or making it hotter than required, I ask her to fill her bath with only the hot water tap on. That saves me about 15% per month.

(I have apppliances, dishwasher and washing machine, that heat water as required, so hotter water isn’t necessary for cleaning purposes.)

5. Completely remove the gas or wood burning fireplace. I am speaking from my experience with poorly sealed gas and wood fireplaces. If you are really thinking about efficiency, this is a sacrifice worth making. And you might be able to recoup the costs by selling the fireplace to someone more estheticly focused. Fireplaces are poorly insulated because of fire regulations (which are a good thing) so they allow cold air in when not in use and use heated air as combustion air when in use (so you end up heating the air twice).

6. The other result you may get from an energy audit (if you hire an excellent consultant) is an indication of whether your ventilation system is balanced. There are heat registers (air flows out) and air intakes throughout the house. There should also be two vents that draws air from outside, one is for fresh air and the other (called a damper) is for combustion in the furnace and HWT (gas). Make sure you are drawing air from both the outside vents when the furnace is working, and not drawing air when its not working. A simple gate flap can be installed on the fresh air intake to minimize unintended air exchange. The same can be done with the “damper”.

7. Continuing with the ventilation system, it is important to make sure the system is a closed system. Make sure vent piping is sealed all the way from the furnace to where it comes out of the vent in the floor. Remove the vent cover. Can you see into the joists around the vent opening. That is where some of your heat is escaping to. Same thing with fresh air intakes. These are usually not ducted so you have to be extra suspicious of the materials used to channel air back to the furnace.

A $5 roll of duct tape (not the “Red Green” stuff, the shiny sticky foil tape) will pay for itself in about two weeks in January!!!

]]> By: stephen http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-64405 stephen Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:21:02 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-64405 FrugalTrader - Yes, my point was once it gets too cold (below freezing), the back up electrical source for heat pumps (Emergency Heat) costs a great deal more than a tradional furnace in terms of energy costs. So you would probably be better off avoiding a heat pump. FrugalTrader – Yes, my point was once it gets too cold (below freezing), the back up electrical source for heat pumps (Emergency Heat) costs a great deal more than a tradional furnace in terms of energy costs. So you would probably be better off avoiding a heat pump.

]]> By: AK http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-64003 AK Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:58:44 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-64003 When calculating the savings that some of these systems provide, please do not forget to include the potential electrical costs associated with installation & operation of some of these systems (especially geothermal.) I work in the electrical trade, and you need to pay attention to the power draws some of this equipment requires. You are not saving $$ or the environment if you install an earth friendly system that requires just as much if not more electricity to run than a simple high efficiency electric furnace. We recently replaced an old oil burning furnace (which was costing us a small fortune in oil every winter) and after researching all the options we ended up going with a mid-range electric furnace. Because we live in an area with lots of winter weather and no natural gas available our options became much more limited! Now that we have 2-tiered electrical, our electric bills are around $200/month (2200 sq ft of badly insulated 1960's house) and we have also installed a high efficiency wood stove for those extra cold months. I don't believe that one source of heating is ideal for everyone, and that it is very dependent on the area you live in! When calculating the savings that some of these systems provide, please do not forget to include the potential electrical costs associated with installation & operation of some of these systems (especially geothermal.)

I work in the electrical trade, and you need to pay attention to the power draws some of this equipment requires. You are not saving $$ or the environment if you install an earth friendly system that requires just as much if not more electricity to run than a simple high efficiency electric furnace.

We recently replaced an old oil burning furnace (which was costing us a small fortune in oil every winter) and after researching all the options we ended up going with a mid-range electric furnace. Because we live in an area with lots of winter weather and no natural gas available our options became much more limited! Now that we have 2-tiered electrical, our electric bills are around $200/month (2200 sq ft of badly insulated 1960’s house) and we have also installed a high efficiency wood stove for those extra cold months.

I don’t believe that one source of heating is ideal for everyone, and that it is very dependent on the area you live in!

]]> By: Bill http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63992 Bill Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:36:34 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-63992 I live in New England so we have extremely crazy weather. I would love to install a solar system in the future for my hot water and electric. Another 5-10 years, those systems are going to be very cheap as more and more companies are making them. I live in New England so we have extremely crazy weather. I would love to install a solar system in the future for my hot water and electric. Another 5-10 years, those systems are going to be very cheap as more and more companies are making them.

]]> By: Sarlock http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63918 Sarlock Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:10:29 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-63918 Next house I build will be geothermal for sure. A bit more expensive up front, but pays off over the long run, especially if energy costs resume their upward spiral after this current recession runs its course. Next house I build will be geothermal for sure. A bit more expensive up front, but pays off over the long run, especially if energy costs resume their upward spiral after this current recession runs its course.

]]> By: DG http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63900 DG Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:59:09 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-63900 FT, I couldn't find the spreadsheet but I found a more detailed email I sent to a friend at the time which has some good info.... DG from March 2008: Okay, here's my simplistic analysis. None of the options seem economically feasible at this time. The Seido 1-16 (http://www.canadiansolartechnologies.ca/solar-technology/) solar heater costs ~$6000 plus installation. According to the Edmonton profile, it yields an average of about 1.4GJ/month, or 389kwh/month. Annually, you will displace $277 worth of electricity consumption, so it will take ~21 years to payback the hardware alone (doesn't include installation and annual maintenance). The whisper 100 wind turbine (http://www.windenergy.com/whisper_100.htm) costs $3000 at Canadian tire, includes a charge controller, and advertises a capacity of 100kwh/month. You will displace $71 of annual electricity consumption, so it will take you 42 years to payback the turbine/controller alone (assuming it lasts that long, and you actually make 100kwh/month). For photoelectric, lets work backwards and shoot for an average of 200kwh/month. Average power output over the month would be 274W. Using insolation factors for Winnipeg, we need ~2kw of cell capacity. 200kwh/month displaces $142 of electricity usage/year. Photoelectric cells cost about $7/watt these days, so payback time for just the cells would be 98 years (yikes!). Keep in mind that cells used to cost $100/watt, and development is progressing at a rapid pace (http://theoffgridhome.com/2007/11/20/1-per-watt-of-solar-energy/). You will approach 10 year payback when cost drops below $1/W. For the electrical systems above I have not included transmission losses from the collector/turbine to the controller. Also, I am assuming that all power will be immediately consumed by low voltage DC resistive heating elements, eliminating the need for batteries and inverters. my numbers: Manitoba hydro: $0.0594/kwh Winnipeg Insolation: 3.41kwh/m^2day ( http://www.apricus.com/html/insolation_levels_canada.htm) Sun Peak: 1kw/m2 Solar cell Wp measure at sun peak, or 24kwh/m2day So to calculate the average power delivered by a solar cell in winnipeg, multiply its peak power rating by 3.41/24, or 0.14. FT, I couldn’t find the spreadsheet but I found a more detailed email I sent to a friend at the time which has some good info….

DG

from March 2008:

Okay, here’s my simplistic analysis. None of the options seem economically feasible at this time.

The Seido 1-16 (http://www.canadiansolartechnologies.ca/solar-technology/) solar heater costs ~$6000 plus installation. According to the Edmonton profile, it yields an average of about 1.4GJ/month, or 389kwh/month. Annually, you will displace $277 worth of electricity consumption, so it will take ~21 years to payback the hardware alone (doesn’t include installation and annual maintenance).

The whisper 100 wind turbine (http://www.windenergy.com/whisper_100.htm) costs $3000 at Canadian tire, includes a charge controller, and advertises a capacity of 100kwh/month. You will displace $71 of annual electricity consumption, so it will take you 42 years to payback the turbine/controller alone (assuming it lasts that long, and you actually make 100kwh/month).

For photoelectric, lets work backwards and shoot for an average of 200kwh/month. Average power output over the month would be 274W. Using insolation factors for Winnipeg, we need ~2kw of cell capacity. 200kwh/month displaces $142 of electricity usage/year. Photoelectric cells cost about $7/watt these days, so payback time for just the cells would be 98 years (yikes!). Keep in mind that cells used to cost $100/watt, and development is progressing at a rapid pace (http://theoffgridhome.com/2007/11/20/1-per-watt-of-solar-energy/). You will approach 10 year payback when cost drops below $1/W.

For the electrical systems above I have not included transmission losses from the collector/turbine to the controller. Also, I am assuming that all power will be immediately consumed by low voltage DC resistive heating elements, eliminating the need for batteries and inverters.

my numbers:

Manitoba hydro: $0.0594/kwh
Winnipeg Insolation: 3.41kwh/m^2day ( http://www.apricus.com/html/insolation_levels_canada.htm)
Sun Peak: 1kw/m2
Solar cell Wp measure at sun peak, or 24kwh/m2day
So to calculate the average power delivered by a solar cell in winnipeg, multiply its peak power rating by 3.41/24, or 0.14.

]]> By: Paw Doc http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63882 Paw Doc Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:42:49 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-63882 http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-grant.cfm?attr=4#eligible $3500 for installing a system. Other programs are available depending on the province. Grants are available for such a conversion. For me I think the most economical systems are pond or lake systems or horizontal trench systems for geothermal. Don't forget about passive solar and even straw bale houses. My next house will be a passive solar design with post and beam construction with straw bale infil. It really isn't the 3 little piggies, straw homes are very energy efficient and economical. My favorite website/blog for this is http://www.glenhunter.ca/house.html Kevin http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-grant.cfm?attr=4#eligible $3500 for installing a system. Other programs are available depending on the province.

Grants are available for such a conversion. For me I think the most economical systems are pond or lake systems or horizontal trench systems for geothermal.

Don’t forget about passive solar and even straw bale houses. My next house will be a passive solar design with post and beam construction with straw bale infil. It really isn’t the 3 little piggies, straw homes are very energy efficient and economical. My favorite website/blog for this is http://www.glenhunter.ca/house.html

Kevin

]]> By: Finance Matters http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63862 Finance Matters Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:59:46 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-63862 Since I have gas heat already I would not change but would consider if building a new home (unless the cost of gas skyrockets in the future). Since I have gas heat already I would not change but would consider if building a new home (unless the cost of gas skyrockets in the future).

]]> By: Mr. GoTo http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63856 Mr. GoTo Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:12:24 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-63856 Heat pumps are fine in moderate climates but when it gets really cold there are two problems: The air temp exiting the vents does not feel warm, which bothers people. Also, at low outside temps, the auxiliary electric strip heat is often demanded by the unit and this really runs up the power consumption. Heat pumps are fine in moderate climates but when it gets really cold there are two problems: The air temp exiting the vents does not feel warm, which bothers people. Also, at low outside temps, the auxiliary electric strip heat is often demanded by the unit and this really runs up the power consumption.

]]> By: TC http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63847 TC Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:55:23 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-63847 We built a house in St. John's just over a year ago. We too were faced with deiciding on a heating system. in the end we built an R2000 home with electric heat and propane fireplace and we have seen significant savings already from our old house. The upfront costs was about $7000 to upgrade to R2000. We expect this to pay for itself in 5-7 years. We went from a 1200 square foot bungalow to a 2500 square foot 4 bedroom, 2 story house and our heating and eletrical costs are about 10% cheaper which is actually quite a difference considering we have double the square footage. We were looking at a heat pump but decided against it mainly because of the potential maintenance costs. We built a house in St. John’s just over a year ago. We too were faced with deiciding on a heating system. in the end we built an R2000 home with electric heat and propane fireplace and we have seen significant savings already from our old house. The upfront costs was about $7000 to upgrade to R2000. We expect this to pay for itself in 5-7 years. We went from a 1200 square foot bungalow to a 2500 square foot 4 bedroom, 2 story house and our heating and eletrical costs are about 10% cheaper which is actually quite a difference considering we have double the square footage.

We were looking at a heat pump but decided against it mainly because of the potential maintenance costs.

]]> By: 9 OH 2 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63845 9 OH 2 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:26:09 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-63845 The answer is a solar/wind hybrid solution....with batteries. The bad news is that this technology is still in its infancy which means it is not efficient enough to justify its premium price. The good news is that there is finally enough interest (consumer demand) for private companies to start investing R&D money to fix this. The plasma tv was invented in 1964 but it wasn't until 2002 that consumerism demanded that they get bigger, clearer, lighter and cheaper. From 2002 to 2008 they became way bigger, 1080p, 50% less heavy and 15% of the price. The same will happen with the cars we drive and the way we heat out homes...it is just a matter of time. Nobody wants to be the guy who dropped 10K on a 37" plasma in 2002. The world is going to look very different within 5 years or so. The answer is a solar/wind hybrid solution….with batteries. The bad news is that this technology is still in its infancy which means it is not efficient enough to justify its premium price. The good news is that there is finally enough interest (consumer demand) for private companies to start investing R&D money to fix this. The plasma tv was invented in 1964 but it wasn’t until 2002 that consumerism demanded that they get bigger, clearer, lighter and cheaper. From 2002 to 2008 they became way bigger, 1080p, 50% less heavy and 15% of the price. The same will happen with the cars we drive and the way we heat out homes…it is just a matter of time. Nobody wants to be the guy who dropped 10K on a 37″ plasma in 2002. The world is going to look very different within 5 years or so.

]]> By: Scott http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-energy-with-a-heat-pump.htm/comment-page-1#comment-63822 Scott Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:09:56 +0000 http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/?p=719#comment-63822 I was looking into alt-energy to upgrade my house. Seems to be just like what MGL mentioned -- a 10-year pay-off period. I would love to go solar but my household is a low energy (heating oil) consumer so the pay-off would be a very, very long wait. As well, solar is still very expensive for a very modest savings. Something you should look at for your next house (or like me, when the old units die in your current house) is, as Tractiam mentioned, your water system. Don't be fooled by the amount of sunlight hours in your area -- the sun is VERY powerful! Research solar hot-water tanks or 'on-demand' hot-water systems (available in both gas and electric). There is a house in my neighbourhood, about two blocks away, that has a wind turbine set up in the backyard. It is running every time I happen to look up at it (they also have a small shed dedicated to all the tech/batteries needed to operate the turbine!). Don't know much about the cost or efficiency of it. Apologies that NONE of this was about heat pumps! I was looking into alt-energy to upgrade my house. Seems to be just like what MGL mentioned — a 10-year pay-off period. I would love to go solar but my household is a low energy (heating oil) consumer so the pay-off would be a very, very long wait. As well, solar is still very expensive for a very modest savings.

Something you should look at for your next house (or like me, when the old units die in your current house) is, as Tractiam mentioned, your water system. Don’t be fooled by the amount of sunlight hours in your area — the sun is VERY powerful! Research solar hot-water tanks or ‘on-demand’ hot-water systems (available in both gas and electric).

There is a house in my neighbourhood, about two blocks away, that has a wind turbine set up in the backyard. It is running every time I happen to look up at it (they also have a small shed dedicated to all the tech/batteries needed to operate the turbine!). Don’t know much about the cost or efficiency of it.

Apologies that NONE of this was about heat pumps!

]]>