Energy usage and efficiency is a critical element to any green home makeover. Currently, our lovely makeover house is heated by old fashioned steam radiators powered by an oil fired boiler. Ick. Not only is oil the dirtiest fuel source, it's the most expensive and least green. The electric is powered from, what else, electricity, which isn't cheap either in this part of the country.
We have a certain budget toward the upgrade of mechanicals of this house and unfortunately we can't replace both the boiler and add a solar system for the electric. ( Although I really, really, really, really want to.) Is our money spent more wisely on a new gas fired boiler which replaces the crusty oil furnace or do we keep it and add solar panels to pay for a portion of the electric bill?
Let's weigh it.
Solar: Clean, renewable energy. Totally green and conceptually, I love it. Solid up front investment for small system (2k). Must deal with local building departments and boards to get approval, and potentially, neighbors may complain that its ugly, since its on the front of the house. Depending on the new occupants of the house, it may pay for a good portion or a small to medium portion of their montly electric bill. Keep in mind that we are in the Northeast and we don't have full sun all year round like CA or FL, plus we still have oil to heat the house.
Gas: Much cleaner (aka less odors, no soot, major carbon reductions) than oil but not renewable. Still a fossil fuel yet a lot cheaper (for now.) Installation costs about 1/2 of the solar system. Electric remains untouched.
Do we get rid of the oil or go with solar? Feedback anyone? I am completely interested in hearing from you!!!
My thought is to go with gas. The sooner we all get off oil, like the junkies we are, the better off the country and our planet will be. The current oil boiler is older and probably not working at full efficiency anyway. It will be cleaner and cheaper and the new occupants will benefit more this way vs. electric via solar. I really love solar but unless the system covers most of the electric usage and preferably pays me back, I'm not sure its worth the money vs. the alternative. If we went for a larger system that could take care of 100% of the usage, it would become cost prohibitive on this project.
What I could do if money was no object....and if it's not an object to you, call me and we'll do lunch. On you.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Green House Makeover - Oil vs. Gas or Solar??
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4 comments:
Can the oil burner be converted to burn Bio-Diesel? There are instruction on the net to recycle an old water heater into a bio-diesel processor. Then you could go solar and burn a recycled waste that is cleaner than the oil. Also you can sell the waste glycerin to someone making natural soaps.
Sounds like a win-win to me.
I love the concept but it sounds a bit ambitious. Maybe I could make it if I was the unibomber or something. Seriously, you cannot modify an oil boiler into anything except scrap metal. And there is no water heater to modify either at this point. I hate to stay with fossil fuels but its the best alternative and hopefully in the coming years, our country will finally break down and harness the technology we need to become more energy efficient. Dammit.
I am in a similar situation in CT. Oil fired boiler running steam radiators. I am already running Bio-Diesel in my boiler - no conversion neccessary, but my oil fired boiler is quite old and inefficient and needs consistent cleaning and troublshooting (both before and after using bio-diesel). I'm thinking of replacing the heating system with an on demand tankless hot water heater for both domestic water and heating baseboard (or possibly hot water radiant) for the house. The question is do I get a natural gas or electric powered on demand boiler?? Either system could possibly be supplimented with a solar hotwater heater to reduce the energy required to heat the water. An electric system could potentially be powered by PVs or other renewable (and self sufficient) energy sources in the future. Even if I don't even get PV's, if our infrastructure improves and goes towards more sustanable energy resources, it could certainly be greener in the long run. Gas is a fossil fuel, and is limmited, but seems to be cheaper than electricity and has virtually no emissions (depending on the heater). Its also being hailed as the great alternative to oil and coal at the moment, and might see a significant increase in demand. I haven't decided whether or not to go with a gas or electric heater. I am concerned with my carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels, but also with what I can afford up front, and what I'll save in the long run.
To my reader in Connecticut: Tankless water heaters say they are on demand but unless you install one at each point of use, its not exactly instantaneous. The whole house tankless system still has to run the water from the unit to the point of demand so there is some lag time. Gas is the only way to go as I'm told the electric powered unit uses obscene amounts of Kw, which defeats the whole green idea in the first place. It's the less of 2 evils. I'm afraid in the Northeast that tankless systems as well as solar tank heaters aren't ideal in the colder months. Solar water heaters are mostly used for pools around here since it's in the summer months when they are in use. In terms of heating for your home, you should go with gas, in my opinion due to the climate in which you live. There is no such thing as solar heat, as you know, and unless you have $40k to blow on geothermal, there are few other choices. Radiant is much more efficient than baseboard but its costlier too and might require you to rip up your floors for installation. As Kermit the Frog says, It's not easy being Green!
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