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Anyone a self proclaimed hydronics/solar expert?

Started by ducpainter, January 05, 2011, 06:24:05 AM

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ducpainter

January 05, 2011, 06:24:05 AM
I'm embarking on a project this spring/summer and need advice/design help.

I have an idea...I need to know if it will work....and how to make it happen.

Anyone?
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


zooom

#1
January 05, 2011, 06:31:59 AM
no...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once...
99 Cagiva Gran Canyon-"FOR SALE", PM for details.
98 Monster 900(trackpregnant dog-soon to be made my Fiancee's upgrade streetbike)
2010 KTM 990 SM-T

ducpainter

#2
January 05, 2011, 06:32:50 AM
Quote from: zooom on January 05, 2011, 06:31:59 AM
no...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once...
me too...

it got me squat.
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


cokey

#3
January 05, 2011, 06:35:43 AM
Maybe posting the idea/question would help..
I WIN
Quote from: my wifeOk babe I surrender to u.  U may work me out till I drop

Quote from: Timmy Tucker on February 27, 2011, 11:11:58 AM
About the goat...
His name was Bob, but the family called him BeelzeBob. 
make the beast with two backs goats.

Monster Dave

#4
January 05, 2011, 06:43:06 AM
Quote from: humorless dp on January 05, 2011, 06:24:05 AM
I'm embarking on a project this spring/summer and need advice/design help.

I have an idea...I need to know if it will work....and how to make it happen.

Anyone?


Project details? It's hard to give advice when the project details are missing! What's your idea?

ducpainter

#5
January 05, 2011, 06:48:24 AM
Quote from: cokey on January 05, 2011, 06:35:43 AM
Maybe posting the idea/question would help..
OK...

I'm building a new house this year. It is going to be a saltbox style oriented to true south.

My plan is to use radiant in the slab with fin tube on the second floor.

I also plan on having a large (320 sq') solar array to heat water in an underground 1000 gallon tank and use heat exchangers in the tank to provide/preheat the water for both heat and DHW. I'd also like to use heat recovery in the septic tank for the times when mother nature provides no sun and the water in the storage tank drops below the temp in the septic tank. The fossil fueled device will be an on demand propane hot water heater, or a combi boiler/on demand, or 2 on demand heaters if that is necessary, although I don't think it is.

I need help with heat exchanger volumes/types/relative efficiencies, pumps, tempering/mixing valves, and differential controllers.

What you got?

"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


zooom

#6
January 05, 2011, 06:56:56 AM
 
Quote from: humorless dp on January 05, 2011, 06:32:50 AM
it got me squat.
Quote from: humorless dp on January 05, 2011, 06:48:24 AM
OK... What you got?



I may have a spare toilet sitting around for you to be able to stop squatting in the woods and using the rabbits like you are a bear cause your ass is too hairy for your own good.

J/K...couldn't resist...

99 Cagiva Gran Canyon-"FOR SALE", PM for details.
98 Monster 900(trackpregnant dog-soon to be made my Fiancee's upgrade streetbike)
2010 KTM 990 SM-T

mitt

#7
January 05, 2011, 07:02:47 AM
Do you subscribe to Home Power by chance?  It sounds just like one of their featured projects.

I got no help otherwise.

http://homepower.com/home/


mitt

cokey

#8
January 05, 2011, 07:18:39 AM
First off, have you though about using windmill power instead?  So you have no worries of dark days.. they have a few good new designs which are small and efficient.  Good price too..
I WIN
Quote from: my wifeOk babe I surrender to u.  U may work me out till I drop

Quote from: Timmy Tucker on February 27, 2011, 11:11:58 AM
About the goat...
His name was Bob, but the family called him BeelzeBob. 
make the beast with two backs goats.

ducpainter

#9
January 05, 2011, 07:33:34 AM
Quote from: cokey on January 05, 2011, 07:18:39 AM
First off, have you though about using windmill power instead?  So you have no worries of dark days.. they have a few good new designs which are small and efficient.  Good price too..
No offense...

If I wanted advice on wind power I would have asked.  :P

I'm also not interested in photo-voltaic as the cost/return isn't there yet.

I'm not looking to generate power...right now anyway. Wind power would certainly be viable in this location for the future if I ever dig myself out of the hole this project will create.

IMO, the ease of implementing the benefits of solar water heating make it the most logical choice for now.
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


mitt

#10
January 05, 2011, 07:58:23 AM
Quote from: cokey on January 05, 2011, 07:18:39 AM
First off, have you though about using windmill power instead?  So you have no worries of dark days.. they have a few good new designs which are small and efficient.  Good price too..


Just worries of calm days and maintenance  ;D  The small cheap windmills will not get you much power either - there are laws of physics and you get what you pay for - the rest is creative marketing.

I agree with dp, thermal energy is the cheapest and easiest to implement at the moment.  I would rate wind as the hardest.  Again, if you are interested in this stuff, subscribe to Home Power - it goes through the decision process for different home sights and climates every month.  You can subscribe online, and go back and look at old issues.  It has been around for 20 years, and gets into the nuts and bolts, not just pretty pictures of before and after.

mitt

ducpainter

#11
January 05, 2011, 08:10:35 AM
Quote from: mitt on January 05, 2011, 07:58:23 AM

Just worries of calm days and maintenance  ;D  The small cheap windmills will not get you much power either - there are laws of physics and you get what you pay for - the rest is creative marketing.

I agree with dp, thermal energy is the cheapest and easiest to implement at the moment.  I would rate wind as the hardest.  Again, if you are interested in this stuff, subscribe to Home Power - it goes through the decision process for different home sights and climates every month.  You can subscribe online, and go back and look at old issues.  It has been around for 20 years, and gets into the nuts and bolts, not just pretty pictures of before and after.

mitt
For anyone interested, this is the system my idea/plan is based on except for the on demand heaters instead of a boiler. I'm skipping the hot tub.

I'm also planning on building my own collectors. There are plans online for home built collectors that come within a few percentage points of factory built in efficiency.
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


mitt

#12
January 05, 2011, 09:02:55 AM
One of the most interesting facts I have seen about solar are quoted on the wiki page:

"The total solar energy absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, oceans and land masses is approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ) per year.[6] In 2002, this was more energy in one hour than the world used in one year."

"The amount of solar energy reaching the surface of the planet is so vast that in one year it is about twice as much as will ever be obtained from all of the Earth's non-renewable resources of coal, oil, natural gas, and mined uranium combined"



Makes me optimistic that we can solve our dependency on fossil fuels for a lot of applications.  All it takes is money and ingenuity.

mitt

zooom

#13
January 05, 2011, 09:20:54 AM
Quote from: mitt on January 05, 2011, 09:02:55 AM
Makes me optimistic that we can solve our dependency on fossil fuels for a lot of applications.  All it takes is money and ingenuity.

mitt

so, when are you going to perfect that mobile capture device for reusing all the methane them cows be giving off?!?!?!
99 Cagiva Gran Canyon-"FOR SALE", PM for details.
98 Monster 900(trackpregnant dog-soon to be made my Fiancee's upgrade streetbike)
2010 KTM 990 SM-T

ducpainter

#14
January 05, 2011, 09:23:18 AM
Quote from: mitt on January 05, 2011, 09:02:55 AM
One of the most interesting facts I have seen about solar are quoted on the wiki page:

"The total solar energy absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, oceans and land masses is approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ) per year.[6] In 2002, this was more energy in one hour than the world used in one year."

"The amount of solar energy reaching the surface of the planet is so vast that in one year it is about twice as much as will ever be obtained from all of the Earth's non-renewable resources of coal, oil, natural gas, and mined uranium combined"



Makes me optimistic that we can solve our dependency on fossil fuels for a lot of applications.  All it takes is money and ingenuity.

mitt
I figure I can cut fossil fuel usage for heat and DHW by at least 50% over a no solar design.

Because of the inherent efficiency of what I'm planning to build for a house my usage will be about 25% of what it is currently.
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


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