Alternative Energy

Some thoughts on Solar and Geothermal energy use in residential housing.

Geothermal — by Perry Kundert — last modified 2007-07-16 15:09

We have 400' of 1/2 oxygen-barrier Pex-B buried ~34" down in our back yard. We plan to use it to dump excess heat in the summer, and for "passive" air conditioning, but not for running a geothermal heat pump for supplemental heating. Why not? *NOTE* These calculations are *incorrect*; divide the cost of gas by 3 to arrive at the maximum "breakeven" gas cost (about $5.81/gJ, if electricity is $0.07/kWH).

Solar — by Perry Kundert — last modified 2007-08-31 15:21

We have 6 m^2 of ETC (Evacuated Tube Collector) solar panels on our roof. Why did we do this, instead of something cheaper like Flat Plate collectors?