tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38836330.post4513152006418446804..comments2023-08-17T05:16:51.696-07:00Comments on Energy Guru: If Not Carbon Offsets, How About Automation?maxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916081164267815374noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38836330.post-28602016287461419722007-12-24T14:22:00.000-08:002007-12-24T14:22:00.000-08:00Solar John:That rate ($.02/kwh) is a great rate. T...Solar John:<BR/><BR/>That rate ($.02/kwh) is a great rate. That should really help justify various energy storage mechanisms. I'm not sure a battery is the best way to do it, though. Batteries are pretty expensive for the amount of storage they give. They also have a relatively short life. <BR/><BR/>My preference would be to store the energy in the form of heat. Ie, run your HVAC, freezer, water heater, etc during the off peak hours. This effectively stores the energy in the form of heat. If you want to store more than can naturally be stored with these systems, you could add water or thermal mass to the spaces or add a specific, well insulated room. Then, heat or cool during off peak hours and withdraw it during peak hours.<BR/><BR/>This way you can get most of your hvac, hot water and refrigeration from off peak hours, storing it simply in insulated space. If you can do that, you can get most of your usage at the off peak rate.<BR/><BR/>I'm planning to do an article on this in the near future.maxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15916081164267815374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38836330.post-18937533465556239782007-12-23T17:52:00.000-08:002007-12-23T17:52:00.000-08:00I've recently enrolled in a peak-rate plan, and I ...I've recently enrolled in a peak-rate plan, and I expect to pay as little as 2 cents per kwh after midnight. I'm thinking about charging batteries at that time, and using the stored power during the day when rates are highest. I already use batteries to a certain extent with my small PV system. I write about my projects on my blog:<BR/> <BR/>http://solarjohn.blogspot.com<BR/>JohnJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09163146438033538446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38836330.post-32809172842971043412007-12-18T16:45:00.000-08:002007-12-18T16:45:00.000-08:00I'm not an expert on tankless water heaters, but I...I'm not an expert on tankless water heaters, but I have used a few of them in Trinidad and the Netherlands and understand the concept.<BR/><BR/>The advantages of tankless heaters are:<BR/><BR/>1. They do not store a lot of water, so they do not "leak" as much energy from the stored volume.<BR/>2. They can supply their rated amount of hot water continuously. This is in contrast to tank type water heaters, which have a certain volume of water stored, but when that is used up you will have no hot water until it heats some more.<BR/><BR/>The disadvantages:<BR/>1. They can not supply a larger amount than their capacity, in contrast to tank type water heaters, which can supply as much as you can get through the pipes until the water is gone.<BR/>2. They require a large energy supply, since they are heating all the water as it is being used. In contrast, tank type heaters might take an hour to reheat the water you use in 15 minutes, so the energy supply does not have to be as large.<BR/><BR/>The tankless heaters I have used were all gas, as are most tankless heaters. This is because it is easier to get the concentrated high heat input with gas than with electricity. Even so, there are electrical heaters. Just be prepared to run heavy wires with a big breaker, or to accept a relatively small capacity.<BR/><BR/>Essentially, with tankless, you trade higher temporary capacity and the associated leakage for continuous availability and a more expensive installation.<BR/><BR/>Before you consider installing tankless, you probably need to do some research to make sure you understand your hot water usage and can match it with tankless at a reasonable cost.<BR/><BR/>Tankless are also have a bit more complex control systems, with which I've had some problems, but presumably a modern heater would eliminate these issues.<BR/><BR/>I haven't done the research, but for my money I'd probably minimize the leakage with insulation or a timer and stay with the tank.maxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15916081164267815374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38836330.post-76002882850321354822007-12-13T09:31:00.000-08:002007-12-13T09:31:00.000-08:00Man, these are great ideas. What do you know abou...Man, these are great ideas. What do you know about tankless water heaters? I've seen several on eBay for $300 to $400 delivered that appear to meet my home's current and future usage requirements. I just don’t know much about them. I would have to go with an electrical tankless water heater given I don’t have natural gas at my home. I think I could figure the ROI but I don’t know much about the pros and cons for this sort of set up other than the labor that it would require in the installation.The Visioneerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00978427908817588957noreply@blogger.com