Comparing Different Home Heating Fuels and Alternative Energy Systems

1
Comparing Different Home Heating Fuels and
Alternative Energy Systems

• Saving Home EnergyPart 3

2
Supplement Current Heating System Short Term
Options

• After servicing, cleaning and tuning up your
  current heating system you might consider a
  supplemental heating system
• Electric space heater to use when you are in one
  room
• Wood stove or pellet stove used when you are home
  to heat one or more rooms
• Passive solar collector attached to a window to
  provide supplemental heat to a south facing room.

3
Pros and Cons of Different Fuels and Energy
Sources

• Restricted to certain sites due to sun, wind or
  water resources
• No widespread infrastructure to service equipment
• Complicated operating understanding
• Physical needs to carry and store fuel
• Insurance implications

• Easy to use
• Inexpensive to use
• No additional equipment required
• Minimal mechanical knowledge required to operate
• Low risk of fire, smoke or carbon monoxide
• Reduce carbon footprint

4
Compare Heating Fuels and Heat Distribution
Systems

• Fuels
• Oil
• Natural gas
• Propane
• Electricity
• Hardwood
• Softwood
• Wood pellets

• Heat Distribution Systems
• Hot air
• Hot water
• Radiant heat
• Radiators
• Radiant floor or ceiling
• Space heating

5
Fossil Fuels

• 80 of homes use oil heat
• Huge infrastructure to support installation and
  maintenance service
• Low fire potential in home
• Emissions are low especially with new 90 to 95
  efficient systems

6
Fossil Fuels

• Not a renewable source of fuel
• Increased Carbon Dioxide in atmosphere
• Negative impact on carbon footprint
• Huge fluctuations in costs from 2.50 per gallon
  to 5.00 per gallon in one year.
• These fuels must be imported into Maine

7
Renewable Fuels

• Firewood logs
• Wood pellets
• Other formed wood products
• Corn
• Hay pellets
• Etc.

8
Renewable Fuels - Wood

• Firewood and wood pellets are available
  throughout Maine
• Wood can regrow if sustainable harvesting is
  practiced
• Firewood stoves can provide heat in a power outage

• Not dependent on sources outside of Maine for
  wood
• New technologies are making wood burning more
  convenient
• Outdoor wood boilers less risk of house fires but
  increased air pollution

9
Wood Heat Safety

• Check chimney to be sure it can support your wood
  stove.
• Insurance companies require separate flue or
  chimney
• Install with proper clearance from combustible
  materials.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to
  protect your family
• Use dry hardwood to stoke your stove

• Use care when closing off the damper or air
  supply to the fire. It can cause excess creosote
  production.

10
Evolution of Heating by wood

• Fireplace
• Fireplace stove insert
• Masonry Heater Russian Fireplace
• Wood stove
• 1990 EPA particulate emission standards
• Catalytic converter wood stove
• Secondary burn wood stove
• Wood furnace hot air
• Wood boiler hot water
• Outdoor wood boiler
• www.epa.gov/woodheaters
• Pellet stove

11
Other Renewable Fuels

• Corn
• Has a high heat value per ton
• Needs a special corn burning stove
• Most corn is grown in the mid-west and needs to
  be imported into Maine
• Can be delivered in bulk or in bags

• Hay Pellets
• Research is currently being done on hay pellets
  for heat
• Not readily available

12
Electricity

• Most Maine homes are connected to the power grid
  to power their electrical appliances
• Using electricity for heating homes is very
  expensive, suggest use another type of fuel to
  heat the home

• Most sources of public power are from coal or
  natural gas burning plants that negatively impact
  our carbon foot print

• Consumers can opt to purchase green power that
  positively affects our carbon foot print
• Maine Public Utilities Commission link

13
Electric HeatBetter used for supplemental space
heating needs
14
Heat Pump

• Ground source systems have usually been installed
  in Maine.
• Air source systems may not work as well in our
  cold climate but new technology is being
  developed to make it more practical for Maine.
• Need electricity to circulate heated fluid

15
How Heat Pumps Work

• Condensing
• From a gas to a liquid
• Collects heat

• Evaporation
• From a liquid to a gas
• Releases heat

16
Solar Energy

• Heating
• Passive Systems
• South facing
• Thermal mass
• Active Systems
• Circulate air or fluid
• Storage system

• Electricity
• Collectors
• Inverters
• Battery storage
• Organizations
• Maine Solar Energy Association

17
Passive Solar

• Building faces south
• Unobstructed view of sun
• Consider with new construction

• Thermal storage ventilation needed to moderate
  wide temperature variations
• Supplemental source of heat for nights or cloudy
  days

18
Window Passive Solar Collector

• Small window units can provide supplemental heat
  during sunny days
• Can be closed at night or on cloudy days
• Larger Trombe or solar walls can be retrofitted
  to older homes

• www.builditsolar.com for more ideas

19
Attached Greenhouse

• The dream of many gardeners is to have an
  attached greenhouse to start plants early in the
  spring
• It is true on a sunny day there will be a net
  gain in heat from an attached greenhouse

• However at night the greenhouse needs to be
  either shut off from the house or insulated to
  prevent heat loss.

20
Active Solar Heating

• Whole house heating

• Domestic hot water

21
Active Solar Thermal Heating

• Need electricity to circulate heated air or fluid
• Can be used for space heating or domestic hot
  water
• Need storage system

22
Solar Electric

• Solar electric systems, also known as
  photovoltaic (PV) systems, convert sunlight into
  electricity.

• Solar cellsthe basic building blocks of a PV
  systemconsist of semiconductor materials. When
  sunlight is absorbed by these materials, the
  solar energy knocks electrons loose from their
  atoms. This phenomenon is called the
  "photoelectric effect." These free electrons then
  travel into a circuit built into the solar cell
  to form electrical current.

23
Solar Electric cont

• Replace appliances with most energy efficient
  versions assess consumption
• Calculate electricity needs and determine size of
  system to install
• Storage
• Batteries
• Grid (Net Metering)
• http//apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/el
  ectricity/index.cfm/mytopic10720
• Maine Solar Energy Association
• http//ellsworthme.org/MESEA/

24
Small Windmill for ME?

• You have enough wind?
• Wind analysis of your site with a years worth of
  data (at least 9 mph wind speed)
• www.windpoweringamerica.gov/ click on their wind
  resources map
• Tall towers allowed in your area?
• You have enough space for your tower
• Certified Electrician may be necessary for loans
  or rebates or if you plan to connect your system
  to power grid

25
Small Windmill for ME? cont.

• You determine how much electricity you need/want
• Current electric bill more than 150 per month
• Costs range from 15,000 to 50,000 depending on
  how much electricity needs to be generated and
  the average wind velocity
• Need battery storage and alternative backup for
  windless days unless you connect to the grid
• Determine if it works economically for you
• A good reference for developing a home windmill
  site
• http//www.windpoweringamerica.gov/pdfs/small_wind
  /small_wind_me.pdf

26
Micro Hydro Power

• Must have reliable running water with drop in
  height to generate energy
• Need to obey laws regarding dam development,
  water utilization, etc.
• Installation technicians are very rare. Need to
  be a self starter willing to learn how to manage
  this energy source.
• Laymans Guide to Developing Small Hydro Sites
  http//www.microhydropower.net/download/books.php

27
Cost Analysis of Changing Energy Source / System
in the Home

• Reduction in annual cost for heat or Kwhs for
  electricity
• Cost of the system
• Estimated life for the system
• Annual maintenance costs
• Additional costs or value of time

• How much are you spending now?
• Oil
• Electricity
• Wood
• What quantity are you using (mBTUs or Kwhs)?
• How much per mBTU

28
Fuel cost per mBTU Amount used mBTU Annual maintenance cost Total Annual Cost
Current System (oil) 28 80 150 2390
New System (pellets) 18 80 250 1690
Annual savings in energy costs 700
Total cost installation 2500 or 3-1/2 years repayment Total cost installation 2500 or 3-1/2 years repayment Total cost installation 2500 or 3-1/2 years repayment Total cost installation 2500 or 3-1/2 years repayment Total cost installation 2500 or 3-1/2 years repayment
29
How Do I Pay For Energy Improvements?

• Own savings
• Low income assistance
• Loans
• Alternate income (renting portion of house)
• Rebates
• Tax Incentives

30
Financial Incentives

• State of Maine
• When Funds Are Available
• Solar Photovoltaic
• 2 per watt with 2,000 cap
• Solar Thermal
• 25 with 1,000 cap
• Wind
• 500 per 500 watts with 2,000 cap
• Additional 2,000 for site and height

• Federal
• 30 No Cap
• Solar Photovoltaic
• Solar Hot Water Systems
• Small Wind
• Geothermal Heat Pumps
• Conservation Efficiency
• 30 with 2,500 cap

31
Rent a Room or Part of Home

• Issues
• Tenants
• Insurance premiums
• Written lease
• Duration of lease

• Resources for more information
• Ten Tips for Landlords NOLO www.NOLO.com
• Tenants Rights in Maine
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance http//www.ptla.org/ten
  ants.htm

32
Energy Resources

• http//www.extension.umaine.edu/energy/default.htm
  
• http//www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/
• tips/