[Greenbuilding] Sustainable Home Heating Systems

[LarenCorie]

> From: "Ross MacLeod" <drossmacleod at gmail.com>

> I am looking at retrofitting a home in Eastern Canada to be more
> energy efficient, and to employ a more sustainable heating system
> I am addressing the 'envelop' first but there are practical limits to
> how efficient I can make it in the short term.

Hello Ross;

A good way to approach it is a room at a time, along with
painting. You can blow the walls full of cellulose and patch
the holes, fast and easy, before you paint.    If you want to
super-insulate, you can build new walls inside.  By doing it
on a room to room bases, you won't get so overwhelmed,
and you will have time to evaluate, before you do the next
room.

> I am planning to use solar thermal to be the primary source of
> water heating,

You might also want to look into a low thermal mass sunspace.
They can be as easy (and low-cost) to build as a covered deck,
and can supply a significant portion of your heating.

> debating the short and long term benefits of high efficiency
> wood stoves versus biomass pellet stoves for space heating.

 You do not have to decide between the two. You can have both,
in one every efficient, and economical stove.  Let's look at your
pros and cons list, and see if you can get everything you want,
and even more.

> On the positive side of biomass pellet stoves:

>  - they can burn pellets made from various biomass materials
> including; wood, switchgrass, corn ... so that you should have
> a reliable supply over time

You can have that.........

> - the fuel is very cost effective today, and compares favourably
> with other sources (superior to wood stoves)

You can have that........

>   - they are environmentally friendly

You can have that........

> On the negative side:

> - today the fuelling process is not very convenient and requires
> frequent refills during the depths of winter

You don't have to have that.......

>  - relatively high maintenance due to chinking

I think that would not be an issue.......

> - requires electricity to operate the augers
> and fans that are essential for it to work.

Those are not even necessary........

> As a result, they are generally not as reliable as wood stoves

How about this.........A very high efficiency (gasifying)
stove, that will virtually burn anything and everything. It
will burn all of the pellet fuels, with no fan, and no auger.
It will also burn logs.  On top of that, it is not expensive,
starting at under $1000CA, and it is made in Ontario.
It can even heat your water.

This wonderful line of SEDORE stoves, with about
the best design I have ever seen (I am the founder of
the WoodGas (gasifier) YahooGroup), can be seen at:

http://members.tripod.com/sharron_reive/about.html

It appears that they have finally developed US distribution.

BTW..I am not associated with Sedore in any way.
I just think they make the very best designed stove,
available anywhere....though I have never actually
seen one.

-Laren Corie-
Natural Solar Building Designs, Since 1975
www.LarenCorie.com

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