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Mike McKechnie
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| Joined: | Thu Dec 20th, 2007 |
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Posted: Thu Dec 27th, 2007 07:36 pm |
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Hello Oakss-
Solar energy is mostly known for PV (photovoltaic), the generation of DC power from the sun, that is inverted to AC power which all houses in America use. We believe it's better and more cost-effective to use solar thermal to generate hot water for domestic use with the sun's energy. There's a quicker payback and smaller initial investment. Both, however, qualify for federal tax incentives. See http://www.dsireusa.org for more info on the tax credits.
Solar thermal can also be used for radiant floor heat.
Geothermal is becoming a more cost-effective source for heating and cooling, using an air delivery system which most Americans are used to. This system is otherwise called a ground source heat pump. It is similar technology to a standard heat pump, but it uses the earth's energy, which is more constant, as its source. Standard heat pumps (otherwise called air souce heat pumps) rely on outside air temperature, which is anything but constant, as its source.
Radiant heat, especially with some solar thermal applications, is a very attractive option for heating. Yes, all of the systems mentioned above have a higher inital cost and therefore are often times overlooked. The problem with the way consumers look at their perspective purchases is that they are only looking at the initial expense, not the lifecycle cost and return on investment. Usually the initial cost is not compared with the ever-rising energy costs. If the consumer could start to look at the initial investment as well as the operating costs over the lifetime of the product and do a cost comparison that way, all of the systems mentioned above become a lot more attractive.
Radiant heating works well with wood floors. It works better with denser flooring products, like ceramic tile, slate, marmoleum. It is my understanding that laminate flooring was originally a European invention, invented specifically for the purpose of wood-over-radiant applications. You get the look and feel of wood, with a thinner product which will allow the heat to radiate more quickly into the room. Full-size wood flooring (3/4" thickness) works well with radiant, but wood itself is not the best thermal conductor. When using 3/4" wood, be careful with the widths of the wood panels. Anything over 5" could cup or warp as the floor changes in temperature. It is best to stick with a 2 1/4" or 3 1/4" wood flooring.
Keep the questions coming.
Thanks!
Mike
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oakss
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| Joined: | Tue Nov 27th, 2007 |
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Posted: Fri Dec 21st, 2007 03:18 pm |
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I would also be curious about radiant floor heating. We considered all three of these options when planning our new home in Berkeley Springs, but did not use them due largely to the high initial cost. We also had heard that you should not use radiant heating with wood flooring but I have since heard that this may not be true.
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voice
Administrator
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Posted: Thu Dec 20th, 2007 06:15 pm |
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Mike, I'm curious about the realtive merits of the two, price and when does it make sense to use one or the other.
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