Could This Be Your Next Power Conditioner?

Twl, you're living my dream! My next house is definitely going to be off grid. I just wanted to weigh in on the air conditioning issue. It's not impossible. Geothermal heat pumps are about twice as efficient as regular air source heat pumps and make it feasible, but still expensive. As a side benefit, they can also produce hot water. However, unless you're made of cash, you're going to need to reduce the conditioned space requirement under 2000 sq ft. and take some steps to reduce the solar gain during the summer months, like correct overhangs, berming the structure, etc. I figured in designing my future solar house (1700 sq.ft.) I would need about a 4KW array and run the oven and dryer off propane in order to make it feasible to have air conditioning using a geothermal heat pump.

Home Power is a great solar-oriented magazine. You can read the issue online for free or you can subscribe. The address is www.homepower.com .

I recently looked into solar power as I will be soon re-roofing and I couldn't be happier suggesting to all of the power companies just what dark place they can put their...stuff.

My problem is this. My average electric bill is $70.00/month and this is with at least 2-3 hours of high end audio listening each night using at least two tube-based pieces of equipment. the problem is that I live in a part of the country where uncomfortable temperatures can be fixed by simply opening/closing certain windows. I have thermal screens on my Western plate-glass exposures and I use lots of compact flourescent bulbs.

Politics aside, it just does not make any sense. Yes, ecologically speaking, I should take into account all of the air particulants generated while producing electricity...but you see, my first 'vice' is audio and my second is...a great rip-roaring fire in the living room: lots of dirty air. The third vice is a glass of wine but everybody should just leave me alone on THAT subject.........

Even with generous tax savings, it makes no sense and this is for two reasons. My income-real estate with depreciation, etc. means I am already in a wonderfully minimal tax bracket. the tqax svings don't work for me. The system will already need to be replaced in the 20+ years before it would pay for itself.

You see, I---and perhaps lots of you---am already energy conscious. Buying such a system is something like throwing another sermon at the true-believers.

I wish I could be speaking differant, but I really am already 'there' and my personal statistical aberration is such that....it can't work.

I wish it could.

Uncle Jeff, doing solar power is something that a person has to want to do. There are some high up-front costs and maximum usage limits that make you have to want it. I don't do it for cost effectiveness, I do it for independence. I like having control over my own circumstances as much as possible, and am willing to live with certain limitations to get that. Also, when everybody else's utility power fails during a storm, my house is running just fine. I never know there was a power outage till I read about it in the paper the next morning.