[Greenbuilding] Passive Solar and HVR/ERV systems

[Corwyn]

On Feb 23, 2007, at 15:54, Ian Albinson wrote:

> A high-efficiency wood stove is definitely on the books. I had 
> considered radiant heat for the 1st Floor bedrooms,
> but have decided that passive may work just as well, allowing me the 
> put the cost of in-floor into the rest of the house.

  I heat my house with just a woodstove.  However, before I had the 
basement slab poured, I put PEX tubing down.  It was relatively easy (I 
spent a day wrestling two 300 foot long snakes). cheap (~$600)  and 
allowed for lots of future improvements (and is impossible to 
accomplish later).  First floor radiant can be put in any time, if you 
design carefully.  When my mortgage company told me I needed a 
'furnace', I hooked up a cheap water heater to those tubes (for an 
additional ~$600).  Now the plan is to run surplus solar heated water 
through them and get the basement up to 68ºF.  This lets me take 
advantage of the 13000 BTU/ºF of thermal mass in the foundation.  That 
said, I wouldn't take money from the window budget for it.

> Thank you for the window suggestions. I'm trying to research as much 
> as I can, before bringing in a consultant,
> just so that I have an understanding of the systems available to me. I 
> can only do so much though, and welcome
> any input you folks may have.

take a look at http://www.thermotechfiberglass.com/index.htm

> Great, I was hoping for some positive feedback on that.
> Does it make more sense, since solar may only provide me with a 
> certain percentage of my hot water needs,
> to pair the system with an on-demand unit?

Yes it does.


Also, I disagree with Ray Pokorny, I think it is hard to have too much 
thermal mass.  Interior thermal mass just moderates the temperature 
swings; in a continuously occupied house it is always a benefit.   
Unless you get so much that it is not fully charged (read: warm, 68ºF) 
after the entire summer, you haven't got too much.

Thank You Kindly,

Corwyn


-- 
Corwyn
Kermit didn't know the half of it...
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corwyn at greenfret.com