Monday, January 31, 2011
Info on geothermal
Since I get asked this a lot...below is a link to an explanation of how geothermal (ground source) heat pumps works:
http://www.geoexchange.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:geothermal-heat-pumps&catid=375:geothermal-hvac&Itemid=32
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One step closer
We got approval from the HOA for the driveway (no approval needed for hvac). Now, it's time for scheduling....
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Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Geothermal is a go...
OK...so I just signed the contract to install the geothermal heat pump. I'm excited! He's going to call his driller to see when they can get on his schedule. He's also go to call the City to get on the permitting guys schedule. And I just need to coordinate with the driveway guy to make sure he tears out the driveway first and when the drilling guys are finished and its been inspected, then they can come in and pour the new driveway.
Let the fun begin...
Let the fun begin...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Helping hand
Just spent 8 hrs yesterday helping my friend, Nate, work on his house. He got an energy audit too and found his house very leaky. I seriously do not want to smell silicone (caulking) for a while.
Except now I feel like I need to tackle some of those small things myself. Liking back at my audit, there were two rooms that had some small leakage. Maybe I'll tackle those tonight...
Fyi, I got myself an attic tent out off it. He had one on his attic, but it was not installed because it didn't fit. So I'll install that in mine...
Finally I got a second quote in for geothermal hvac. This one was 45k...or 25% higher than my original quote. Not surprising I started my return email with "i regret to inform you..."
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Except now I feel like I need to tackle some of those small things myself. Liking back at my audit, there were two rooms that had some small leakage. Maybe I'll tackle those tonight...
Fyi, I got myself an attic tent out off it. He had one on his attic, but it was not installed because it didn't fit. So I'll install that in mine...
Finally I got a second quote in for geothermal hvac. This one was 45k...or 25% higher than my original quote. Not surprising I started my return email with "i regret to inform you..."
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Friday, January 21, 2011
Doing great...
From TED, our usage has decreased significantly. Sunday thru thursday we've used the following:
Sun 61 kWh
Mon 72 kWh
Tues 75 kWh
Wed 36 kWh!
Thur 52 kWh
If you consider the previous 8 days were at 100 kWh our more, this is great.
The results are a combo of more attic insulation and using the gas log in the AM and PM to get the temp up in lieu of the crappy heat pump electric heat.
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Tuesday, January 18, 2011
So far so good?
OK...so not surprisingly, switching to the gas log is helping a lot. Check out TED below:
Power usage has dropped significantly, which is nice. It's still fairly, but that's probably because we still need to heat the upstairs. In the AM, I try to get downstairs before the heat turns on and turn on the gas log.
Anyhow, I'm not declaring victory yet...I need to receive the gas bill first. However, this vent free has an output that's a 1/3 of what the vented log had. So I should be able to run it for about $1.20/3 hrs.
Anyhow...off to work.
Power usage has dropped significantly, which is nice. It's still fairly, but that's probably because we still need to heat the upstairs. In the AM, I try to get downstairs before the heat turns on and turn on the gas log.
Anyhow, I'm not declaring victory yet...I need to receive the gas bill first. However, this vent free has an output that's a 1/3 of what the vented log had. So I should be able to run it for about $1.20/3 hrs.
Anyhow...off to work.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Geothermal quote
Just got my geothermal quote yesterday.
What's the expected damage?
Total cost is $36,409 minus tax credits is 17,089.
So a little higher than anticipated because needed to factor in all brand new duct work. This price may go a little higher due to the driveway repair.
I'm going to take this quote and get at least two comparative quotes. Then I'll make my decision.
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Saturday, January 15, 2011
Vent free gas log
After 2 hrs and 3 trips to lowes, I finally replaced my vented gas log with a vent free gas log. Its fantastic and really heats up the room. Plus it uses a third the gas than the old one.
Hopefully this will help lower the heating bills.
Fyi...we called the electric company and the previous folks AVERAGED $372/mo from Dec thru Mar. So we're not so bad...
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Friday, January 14, 2011
Energy Audit Guys
This afternoon, my energy audit guys (Eric and Ed) from ProEnergy Consultants swung by and checked out my place. These are the guys who did my energy audit last April. Well, they walked around with their really cool thermal cameras and checked out my walls, attic and crawl space.
So what was the outcome?
Drum Roll Please....
My HVAC system is old and crappy. What a surprise, huh? And that's why I'm going to replace it!
Overall, my walls are fine. We found some really small spots...but nothing really bad. My attic insulation is fantastic...so that makes me feel good for paying that $430. One suggestion was to put on some hoods over my air vents to direct the air more towards the middle of the room. Using a smoke pen, the air apparently goes straight up to the ceiling and hugs the wall. So I can fix that relatively easily.
My crawl space could use some more insulation...and I could do that fairly easily. But the air temps down there were in the 60s, so its already staying fairly warm there (thanks to the crappy downstairs HVAC system).
Oh...and when sitting with the guys showing them how of the HVAC runs on TED, their impression was that the insulation was great...it's just the heat pumps are just old and have issues keeping up.
Anyhow...I also got my natural gas turned on. I played with that a little bit beforehand. I ran the system for an hour...and it didn't raise the room temperature at all. Apparently the majority of the heat goes right up the chimney (it's a vented system...so I have to keep the chimney open)....so that sucks.
Well...I guess now I just wait for that geothermal quote...
So what was the outcome?
Drum Roll Please....
My HVAC system is old and crappy. What a surprise, huh? And that's why I'm going to replace it!
Overall, my walls are fine. We found some really small spots...but nothing really bad. My attic insulation is fantastic...so that makes me feel good for paying that $430. One suggestion was to put on some hoods over my air vents to direct the air more towards the middle of the room. Using a smoke pen, the air apparently goes straight up to the ceiling and hugs the wall. So I can fix that relatively easily.
My crawl space could use some more insulation...and I could do that fairly easily. But the air temps down there were in the 60s, so its already staying fairly warm there (thanks to the crappy downstairs HVAC system).
Oh...and when sitting with the guys showing them how of the HVAC runs on TED, their impression was that the insulation was great...it's just the heat pumps are just old and have issues keeping up.
Anyhow...I also got my natural gas turned on. I played with that a little bit beforehand. I ran the system for an hour...and it didn't raise the room temperature at all. Apparently the majority of the heat goes right up the chimney (it's a vented system...so I have to keep the chimney open)....so that sucks.
Well...I guess now I just wait for that geothermal quote...
TGIF
Today my energy audit guy swings by with his cool thermal camera to see if there's anything obvious to where my heat is going. My natural gas also gets turned on also. And finally I hope to get my geothermal quote.
It's going to be a fun day! I'll keep ya posted...
It's going to be a fun day! I'll keep ya posted...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Gas log costs
OK...so my bro gave me a call last night and we discussed all the fun stuff that I've been doing while he was trying to convince me to go to Mexico with him. Well...he did have one good point. I have this vented natural gas log in my fireplace. I haven't used it because I just see the vent (aka...the chimney) as a place for all my heat to be sucked up and out. Also, it doesn't help that we never got our service started...which was because we only have natural gas to fuel the fireplace and the gas company charges us $10/month for service...so we pay $10/mo...used or unused.
OK...getting back on track...the gas log is rated for 90,000 BTU/hr or 26.4 kWh. In electricity terms, that amount of heat would cost me about $2.24/hr. For natural gas (we pay by the therm or 100,000 BTU), that equals 0.9 therm or roughly $1.18/hr. However, we need to factor in that $10 somehow. This is where the math gets tricky because I don't have a handle on how often my auxiliary heat runs. I'm going to make an assumption...looking at my TED graph for the last 24 hrs, I'd say the aux heat was on 25% of the time. However, I only only going to count when I'm home since my gas log is manual. So, let's downgrade that to 10%. That's 2.4 hrs. When that occurs my aux heat boosts electricity use by 10 kWh. So 10 kWh x 2.4 hrs x $0.085/kWh = $2.04/day x 30 days = $61.20/mo.
So, if I use my gas log instead, it's a little harder to control because its not on a thermostat. But for comparison sake, I'm going to only add in an equivalent amount of heat. That will cost me (10/26.4) x 2.4 = 0.91 hrs x $1.18/hr = $1.07/day x 30 days = $32.21 + $10 = $42.21/mo. So I'd save $20/mo.
Now, there's a lot of assumptions here...first it assumes that all that 90k BTU/hr goes into the house. Let's not forget that I have a chimney right above it. So, let's assume we have 33% fugitive heat loss. Is this number good? I don't know. Now that cost changes from $1.07/day to $1.60/day x 30 days = $48 + $10 = $58/mo. So now it's nearly equal. And that doesn't even factor in the fact that the gas log doesn't have a thermostat (BTW...it cost roughly $300 to purchase on for my set), so I'd have to sit diligently next to the thermostat to turn the heat off when its not needed. Or I'd have to set a timer to make sure the gas log is not used more than 1.36 hrs/day (or 0.68 hrs in the AM and 0.68 hrs in the PM). Oh...and I have to be diligent and close the chimney vent when I'm done using it.
Now I might try to remove some assumptions later by using TED to find 10 kWh jumps, but until then...this is how I see the math. I'm going to try out using the gas log to see how it goes anyway.
Any thoughts?
OK...getting back on track...the gas log is rated for 90,000 BTU/hr or 26.4 kWh. In electricity terms, that amount of heat would cost me about $2.24/hr. For natural gas (we pay by the therm or 100,000 BTU), that equals 0.9 therm or roughly $1.18/hr. However, we need to factor in that $10 somehow. This is where the math gets tricky because I don't have a handle on how often my auxiliary heat runs. I'm going to make an assumption...looking at my TED graph for the last 24 hrs, I'd say the aux heat was on 25% of the time. However, I only only going to count when I'm home since my gas log is manual. So, let's downgrade that to 10%. That's 2.4 hrs. When that occurs my aux heat boosts electricity use by 10 kWh. So 10 kWh x 2.4 hrs x $0.085/kWh = $2.04/day x 30 days = $61.20/mo.
So, if I use my gas log instead, it's a little harder to control because its not on a thermostat. But for comparison sake, I'm going to only add in an equivalent amount of heat. That will cost me (10/26.4) x 2.4 = 0.91 hrs x $1.18/hr = $1.07/day x 30 days = $32.21 + $10 = $42.21/mo. So I'd save $20/mo.
Now, there's a lot of assumptions here...first it assumes that all that 90k BTU/hr goes into the house. Let's not forget that I have a chimney right above it. So, let's assume we have 33% fugitive heat loss. Is this number good? I don't know. Now that cost changes from $1.07/day to $1.60/day x 30 days = $48 + $10 = $58/mo. So now it's nearly equal. And that doesn't even factor in the fact that the gas log doesn't have a thermostat (BTW...it cost roughly $300 to purchase on for my set), so I'd have to sit diligently next to the thermostat to turn the heat off when its not needed. Or I'd have to set a timer to make sure the gas log is not used more than 1.36 hrs/day (or 0.68 hrs in the AM and 0.68 hrs in the PM). Oh...and I have to be diligent and close the chimney vent when I'm done using it.
Now I might try to remove some assumptions later by using TED to find 10 kWh jumps, but until then...this is how I see the math. I'm going to try out using the gas log to see how it goes anyway.
Any thoughts?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
BRRRRRRRR
Wow, its been cold outside. It's 21.7F outside now with a predicted high of 34F. That's roughly same forecast as yesterday. And probably going to be the same for tomorrow. So, I know you've all been waiting...how's the new insulation? Well...it's tough to determine because I don't have a baseline to draw from. Unfortunately I don't have a "before" and "after" because it hasn't been this cold out since I've had my TED. Just for fun, let's look at the past couple days, shall we?
Day - kWh - Cost - Temps (from wunderground.com using closest neighborhood meter)
Tuesday - 114 kWh, cost = $11.40, avg temp = 30F, max = 34F, low = 28F (I saw 25F)
Monday - 126 kWh, cost = $12.59, avg temp = 28F, max = 32F, low =25F (agree)
Sunday - 117 kWh , cost = $11.74, avg temp = 26F, max = 36F, low = 14F (I don't recall this cold?)
Saturday - 98 kWh, cost = $9.78, avg temp = 34F, max = 43F, low = 25F (about right)
Sunday is when we installed the insulation. Just keep in mind that I had the HVAC system fully off for about 4 hours, so that is more than likely skewing the electricity values. Monday and Tuesday are showing more usage...but then again, the temps are definitely lower. Not to mention we were home all day (snowed, then iced in). We'll see how today and tomorrow compare to see if that shows a difference.
Either way, this is crazy usage, and I'm sure I'll come up with new swears when the electric bill shows up.
Still no quote yet from the HVAC guy. I'm giving him a break due to the nasty southeast weather.
Oh...and today I plan on contacting the guy who did my energy audit to see if he can come over with his thermal camera and check out where all my heat is going...windows? walls? floors? something else? That may determine what my next project is....
Day - kWh - Cost - Temps (from wunderground.com using closest neighborhood meter)
Tuesday - 114 kWh, cost = $11.40, avg temp = 30F, max = 34F, low = 28F (I saw 25F)
Monday - 126 kWh, cost = $12.59, avg temp = 28F, max = 32F, low =25F (agree)
Sunday - 117 kWh , cost = $11.74, avg temp = 26F, max = 36F, low = 14F (I don't recall this cold?)
Saturday - 98 kWh, cost = $9.78, avg temp = 34F, max = 43F, low = 25F (about right)
Sunday is when we installed the insulation. Just keep in mind that I had the HVAC system fully off for about 4 hours, so that is more than likely skewing the electricity values. Monday and Tuesday are showing more usage...but then again, the temps are definitely lower. Not to mention we were home all day (snowed, then iced in). We'll see how today and tomorrow compare to see if that shows a difference.
Either way, this is crazy usage, and I'm sure I'll come up with new swears when the electric bill shows up.
Still no quote yet from the HVAC guy. I'm giving him a break due to the nasty southeast weather.
Oh...and today I plan on contacting the guy who did my energy audit to see if he can come over with his thermal camera and check out where all my heat is going...windows? walls? floors? something else? That may determine what my next project is....
Monday, January 10, 2011
Monday AM Snow
Good Morning-
So, I was woken up this AM to my wife going, "its a snow day! it's a snow day!". Yup...at 6am, there was about 1.5" of snow on the ground.
And the first thing that went through my mind was, "what time is it?" followed by "ohhh...I wonder what TED is saying?"
So, after going outside and shoveling the driveway and taking the dog for a walk, so checked on TED. And the results are promising:
If you look at the hourly history comparing yesterday and today, since about 6pm, we've used consistently less heat. There's a couple 'blips' on the radar, (11am and midnight), but overall it's showing that less power is being used. That makes the $436 we spent on the insulation worth it. If you use simple math...saving $1/day means saving $365/year and nearly paying off that insulation. And for those nerds out there...the actual math is $1.1945/day means a 1 year ROI.
And BTW...that 117 kWh yesterday...#$*&#$*&! If you couldn't tell...that big power usage from 3-5pm was when we finished laying the insulation and turned the heat back on (in was 60 degrees downstairs and 59 degrees upstairs).
We'll see how the full day today turns out. Now it's time for breakfast...
So, I was woken up this AM to my wife going, "its a snow day! it's a snow day!". Yup...at 6am, there was about 1.5" of snow on the ground.
And the first thing that went through my mind was, "what time is it?" followed by "ohhh...I wonder what TED is saying?"
So, after going outside and shoveling the driveway and taking the dog for a walk, so checked on TED. And the results are promising:
If you look at the hourly history comparing yesterday and today, since about 6pm, we've used consistently less heat. There's a couple 'blips' on the radar, (11am and midnight), but overall it's showing that less power is being used. That makes the $436 we spent on the insulation worth it. If you use simple math...saving $1/day means saving $365/year and nearly paying off that insulation. And for those nerds out there...the actual math is $1.1945/day means a 1 year ROI.
And BTW...that 117 kWh yesterday...#$*&#$*&! If you couldn't tell...that big power usage from 3-5pm was when we finished laying the insulation and turned the heat back on (in was 60 degrees downstairs and 59 degrees upstairs).
We'll see how the full day today turns out. Now it's time for breakfast...
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Electric bill
Just got our electric bill for last month (before TED)...all I can say is holy f@#&$ sh@#!!!! It was $253. That's just ridiculous. It averaged 95 kwh over 30 days. This month probably isn't going to be much better. All the more reason to go geothermal...
Insulation work today
So, Lowe's Home Delivery should be showing up sometime this AM with my 37 rolls of R30 unfaced insulation. So, my day is going to be lots of fun. And I'm doing this right at the correct time because the southeast is going to get hammered with cold weather. It was 17F this AM. Weather reports are predicting 3-5" of snow for tomorrow (I guess my client visit 1 hr away is not going to happen...and I hope the snow doesn't effect my Tuesday AM flights to OR). Also for the rest of the week, it's going to highs in the mid 30s...and lows in the teens.
TED is showing that yesterday (a high up to 40, i think) showed we used 98 kWh yesterday...yikes!
Guess what? This probably won't surprise you, but by looking at the graph, nearly all of it went to heating. And I'll tell you a secret...there were no showers yesterday either. But we were home for most of the day too.
Let's hope the extra insulation can really make a dent in my heating. Stay tuned...
TED is showing that yesterday (a high up to 40, i think) showed we used 98 kWh yesterday...yikes!
Let's hope the extra insulation can really make a dent in my heating. Stay tuned...
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Geothermal Heat Pump System
OK...yesterday, I called up a HVAC place, Pantherhvac (pantherhvac.com), and they came out to check out my house. Mike, the owner of the company, was great. We walked around the house...looked at my POS existing heat pumps and talked geothermal. Did I say it was great yet? Because if not, here it is again...it was great and it was fun. I guess having a spend a lot of money isn't fun, but talking about saving energy and money is.
Anyhow, so the best places for the wells will be in the front yard...and I really liked his idea of putting the wells under the driveway, since I was already planning on tearing out my beat up driveway anyway and putting in something permeable. The nice thing for them about putting the wells there is no utilities and no sprinkler system to deal with. Plus, the drill rig doesn't have to deal with trees. So, the wells would under the driveway and then I'd have a small trench that would run two 1.25" lines (supply and return) to the crawl space. This is nice because it would be minimal yard repair from the excavation in the front yard. And before you ask...the well system has a 55 year warranty.
So the system will include two @ 2 ton units. The downstairs unit would be a combined unit with all brand new insulated duct work. Next to that unit would be the "liquid half" of my upstairs unit, so it would be a split system. Then the air handler would be in the attic like the way it is now. The main duct work in the attic would be replaced with insulated stuff. However, the current "drops" to each room are already insulated and new, so they can be reused. Only the duct run to the bonus room would be replaced since the insulation is falling off of it. Oh, and we discussed putting on a different supply vent in our master bathroom to redirect the air...because the ventilation fan for that bathroom is literally 3" from the supply duct. So...when the ventilation fan is running and the heat turns on, the heat literally goes straight outside. This is why I have that vent in the bathroom is closed.
Ok...for hot water, I'm getting two quotes. One for the normal system with the desuperheater to give me free hot water in the summer (the reject heat from A/C is used to heat the hot water). The other will be for "priority" hot water which essentially is using the geothermal system to heat your hot water. It's also called geothermal hot water.
So, when talking dollars and sense we discussed round numbers until I get the official quote on Monday. The unofficial quote is $30k. So, take that $30k and minus the 30% federal tax credit ($10k), and now it's $20k. Then, the State of NC has a 35% tax credit capped at $8.4k. So minus the $8.4k, and I'm at $11.6k. Fantastic. I got a quote from my current HVAC contractor for a new high efficiency air source heat pump (16-18 SEER, 9.X HSPF) that was $14k. So, after tax breaks, this system will cost me less than installing the air source heat pumps while being significantly more efficient!
Now I just need the official quote. I also need to call up two other HVAC places to get quotes from them to keep everyone 'honest'.
Oh...and BTW, I showed the HVAC guy my TED 5000. He loved it. He's probably going to start including one with his geothermal systems to show folks how much energy/money they are saving.
Anyhow, so the best places for the wells will be in the front yard...and I really liked his idea of putting the wells under the driveway, since I was already planning on tearing out my beat up driveway anyway and putting in something permeable. The nice thing for them about putting the wells there is no utilities and no sprinkler system to deal with. Plus, the drill rig doesn't have to deal with trees. So, the wells would under the driveway and then I'd have a small trench that would run two 1.25" lines (supply and return) to the crawl space. This is nice because it would be minimal yard repair from the excavation in the front yard. And before you ask...the well system has a 55 year warranty.
So the system will include two @ 2 ton units. The downstairs unit would be a combined unit with all brand new insulated duct work. Next to that unit would be the "liquid half" of my upstairs unit, so it would be a split system. Then the air handler would be in the attic like the way it is now. The main duct work in the attic would be replaced with insulated stuff. However, the current "drops" to each room are already insulated and new, so they can be reused. Only the duct run to the bonus room would be replaced since the insulation is falling off of it. Oh, and we discussed putting on a different supply vent in our master bathroom to redirect the air...because the ventilation fan for that bathroom is literally 3" from the supply duct. So...when the ventilation fan is running and the heat turns on, the heat literally goes straight outside. This is why I have that vent in the bathroom is closed.
Ok...for hot water, I'm getting two quotes. One for the normal system with the desuperheater to give me free hot water in the summer (the reject heat from A/C is used to heat the hot water). The other will be for "priority" hot water which essentially is using the geothermal system to heat your hot water. It's also called geothermal hot water.
So, when talking dollars and sense we discussed round numbers until I get the official quote on Monday. The unofficial quote is $30k. So, take that $30k and minus the 30% federal tax credit ($10k), and now it's $20k. Then, the State of NC has a 35% tax credit capped at $8.4k. So minus the $8.4k, and I'm at $11.6k. Fantastic. I got a quote from my current HVAC contractor for a new high efficiency air source heat pump (16-18 SEER, 9.X HSPF) that was $14k. So, after tax breaks, this system will cost me less than installing the air source heat pumps while being significantly more efficient!
Now I just need the official quote. I also need to call up two other HVAC places to get quotes from them to keep everyone 'honest'.
Oh...and BTW, I showed the HVAC guy my TED 5000. He loved it. He's probably going to start including one with his geothermal systems to show folks how much energy/money they are saving.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Insulation...
OK...so I'm not sure why this came to me now...but I went up to the attic and measured home deep my insulation is. Well...it's 6" of blown-in insulation. That means at R2.5/inch, I only have a R15 for my attic. It's recommended by Energy Star that I have a R25-R38. In my old place I had a R30. So, why so little? And why didn't this tid bit of information show up in my ENERGY AUDIT that was performed last April? So...maybe I could have used that 30% tax credit (up to $1500) that JUST EXPIRED. @#$%@#@#%^!!!!
So...(wait for it)...I made myself a spreadsheet to figure out how much insulation I'd need. It's roughly 980 sf in the main attic area because I have a storage area in the middle that has plywood over it. What's intriguing is that I went on the Lowe's website and I was surprised at how much blow-in insulation costs. For an extra 7" of blow-in insulation to get to R38, it was going to cost me ~$2800. And that doesn't count the 2x10's I'd need to hold the insulation in place. However...since this insulation will go on top of my existing blown-in insulation, I can use roll-out insulation (it doesn't come with vapor barrier...good!) that is R30 and measures ~32 sf for only $13.50. So, using this will cost me only ~$450 for 32 rolls and it will get me to R45. It might be a little "itchier" if I don't bundle up correctly...and I will...I learned my lesson on that a while ago...but I'd say saving ~$2300 is well worth it.
Well...I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend. And its supposed to be a high in the 30s too...so bundling up won't be a problem.
So...(wait for it)...I made myself a spreadsheet to figure out how much insulation I'd need. It's roughly 980 sf in the main attic area because I have a storage area in the middle that has plywood over it. What's intriguing is that I went on the Lowe's website and I was surprised at how much blow-in insulation costs. For an extra 7" of blow-in insulation to get to R38, it was going to cost me ~$2800. And that doesn't count the 2x10's I'd need to hold the insulation in place. However...since this insulation will go on top of my existing blown-in insulation, I can use roll-out insulation (it doesn't come with vapor barrier...good!) that is R30 and measures ~32 sf for only $13.50. So, using this will cost me only ~$450 for 32 rolls and it will get me to R45. It might be a little "itchier" if I don't bundle up correctly...and I will...I learned my lesson on that a while ago...but I'd say saving ~$2300 is well worth it.
Well...I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend. And its supposed to be a high in the 30s too...so bundling up won't be a problem.
Interference confirmed...I hope
OK...so I think I've confirmed the interference. Above is a 36-hr graph....the inline filter was installed by 19:00 hours. Check out 7am yesterday versus 7am today...SIGNIFICANTLY lower peaks. Today's peaks max out around 17 kW while yesterday's peaks reached 29 kW. I'm guessing the interference may have been a result of the heat pump supplemental heat strips as it seems the extremes were exaggerated as you can see that the smaller loads appear to be consistent. I'm a little hesitant to declare victory as it's 36 degrees outside today. Well...the past two days it was ~25F. Well, that 10 degrees makes a difference in how/if the electric heat operates, as I explained yesterday. So, we'll see, I guess. This weekend show lows in the 20s again...
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
TED Interference and Filter
OK...so I had suspected there was some sort of interference with my TED unit. This main reason came about because I was noticing some loads from TED showing >40 kW. Well...if I add up all my loads in my house, I don't think I get 40 kW. So I ordered the suggested "in-line noise filter". However, instead of ordering it from www.theenergydetective.com website (which was ~$14 for the filter plus ~$16 for fedex to ship it...yeah, no sh*t)...I ordered it from X10shop.com. BTW...X10shop.com was prompt, quick, and they had a good price ($9 for the filter plus $3 for USPS shipping). Kudos to that place.
Anyhow, so I installed the filter which was a pain...if you follow my lead, make sure you splice on some extra wires because the wires are really short from the filter...like 3" long. The max distance I had was probably close to 12" long. After installation, I had to reset some of settings, it is working great. The TED is much more responsive to load changes and the communication light on the side is now blinking much more consistently (this is an indication that it is receiving a signal from the MTU in the breaker box). I'm thrilled!
So...I'm just going to have to wait and collect data to see if those AM loads I ranted about earlier are just fiction (I hope!). Otherwise, it could despair...
Anyhow, so I installed the filter which was a pain...if you follow my lead, make sure you splice on some extra wires because the wires are really short from the filter...like 3" long. The max distance I had was probably close to 12" long. After installation, I had to reset some of settings, it is working great. The TED is much more responsive to load changes and the communication light on the side is now blinking much more consistently (this is an indication that it is receiving a signal from the MTU in the breaker box). I'm thrilled!
So...I'm just going to have to wait and collect data to see if those AM loads I ranted about earlier are just fiction (I hope!). Otherwise, it could despair...
Yesterday's Energy Usage
OK...so here's the last couple days of energy usage for my home:
Tuesday 1/4: 84 kWh
Monday 1/3: 68 kWh
Sunday 1/2: 32 kWh (low temp ~40F, high temp ~64F)
So, when I look at where my power is going....it's nearly all going to heating...with a significant chunk by the auxiliary heat. There's some going to hot water (electric again) after showers, but generally that's short-term, but that still adds to the peaks. If you compare to Sunday...when we were home all day, we used half as much power because temperatures were warmer which meant there wasn't a need for the auxiliary heat.
And before you ask...I do use programmable thermostats. My upstairs heating temperatures moves from 62F (away/sleeping) to 67F (home/awake)...while downstairs I'm a little more 'liberal' at 62F to 68F. As my wife says every winter, "say goodbye to this" as she bundles up. If we have company (which isn't all that often), I may splurge and bump up the downstairs temperature to 69F.
Anyhow, "luckily" my air source heat pumps are dying, according to my HVAC tech. I've already spent around $600 on those units since I've moved in (March 2010). This is one of the main reasons why I'm going to replace that system with a ground source (geothermal) heat pump. These units are somewhere around 3-5x more efficient at heating, 1.5-2x more efficient for cooling, and they can produce my hot water. For more information see: http://www.geoexchange.org/. Fear not...I'll keep you posted when this endeavor kicks off.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Day 1 of the Blog
Ok...welcome to my first blog. So...let me get started...
Ever since I got this new TED 5000 I'm been infatuated with it. To those who are unaware...the TED 5000 is a home electricity monitor (www.theenergydetective.com). Seriously...I'm always checking out how much power is being used followed by searching the house for what is being used when the wattage is so dang high. Due to this almost "obsessive compulsive" behavior, my wife decide I needed to start a blog to chronicle my endeavors. If you're reading this...then guess what? You've just joined the 'cool-kids-club' and you get to share my joy/despair.
Ok...so this little piece of gadgetry has revolutionized how I think about my lifestyle. As of now, I'm looking across the my TED display which is showing me a reading of 7.018 kW as my small electric convection oven is cooking some fish sticks. I'm thinking to myself, "holy crap...where is all the power being used?" And yes, I did just get up and check to find that the heat is on up- and downstairs, so it make sense. Every AM, I'm checking the power usage when I walk the dog. And then when I get to work, I go online to check my power usage. That's right folks...I'm emphatic enough to have my TED hooked up so I can check my power usage anywhere. I also have it connected to Google PowerMeter. So, as you can see...I'm pretty obsessed.
Now, let me get this straight...I've always been concerned with energy efficiency. Maybe when I get some motivation I'll post some blogs revisiting some past projects/moments....flashback style! Anyhow, I'd like to reduce my carbon footprint and all...but truthfully, my main goals is to save money. It's just amazing how much money I throw at utilities for their services. I'd much rather put that money to much better use...like buying myself something cool. So, I've put a lot of time and effort into making my home and lifestyle energy efficient.
Now, let me say...I don't just go out and buy something because it's 'cool' and 'green'. As my wife will surely point out...I research everything exhaustively. Seriously...I'll google for hours trying to find every last piece of relevant information. Then, more than likely, I'll build myself a spreadsheet that calculates the life cycle cost comparing against other alternatives which I'll constantly scrutinize before I can convince myself that something is a good investment. I'm not sure if being an Engineer is a curse or a Blessing...you tell me.
Ever since I got this new TED 5000 I'm been infatuated with it. To those who are unaware...the TED 5000 is a home electricity monitor (www.theenergydetective.com). Seriously...I'm always checking out how much power is being used followed by searching the house for what is being used when the wattage is so dang high. Due to this almost "obsessive compulsive" behavior, my wife decide I needed to start a blog to chronicle my endeavors. If you're reading this...then guess what? You've just joined the 'cool-kids-club' and you get to share my joy/despair.
Ok...so this little piece of gadgetry has revolutionized how I think about my lifestyle. As of now, I'm looking across the my TED display which is showing me a reading of 7.018 kW as my small electric convection oven is cooking some fish sticks. I'm thinking to myself, "holy crap...where is all the power being used?" And yes, I did just get up and check to find that the heat is on up- and downstairs, so it make sense. Every AM, I'm checking the power usage when I walk the dog. And then when I get to work, I go online to check my power usage. That's right folks...I'm emphatic enough to have my TED hooked up so I can check my power usage anywhere. I also have it connected to Google PowerMeter. So, as you can see...I'm pretty obsessed.
Now, let me get this straight...I've always been concerned with energy efficiency. Maybe when I get some motivation I'll post some blogs revisiting some past projects/moments....flashback style! Anyhow, I'd like to reduce my carbon footprint and all...but truthfully, my main goals is to save money. It's just amazing how much money I throw at utilities for their services. I'd much rather put that money to much better use...like buying myself something cool. So, I've put a lot of time and effort into making my home and lifestyle energy efficient.
Now, let me say...I don't just go out and buy something because it's 'cool' and 'green'. As my wife will surely point out...I research everything exhaustively. Seriously...I'll google for hours trying to find every last piece of relevant information. Then, more than likely, I'll build myself a spreadsheet that calculates the life cycle cost comparing against other alternatives which I'll constantly scrutinize before I can convince myself that something is a good investment. I'm not sure if being an Engineer is a curse or a Blessing...you tell me.
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