Category Archives: electricity

Confessions Of An Energy And Environmental Activist – Why a mechanic’s car never works,

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a carpenter’s doors are never square and the wiring in an electricians house is always scary. Because you never do at home what you do at work. I never had this problem in New Orleans or when I moved back from Springfield. We owned our house in New Orleans and I put a lot of easy low cost energy improvements there. In Springfield, I had rentersitis and was working for Planned Parenthood, Lowe’s and the Sara Center and was not focused on energy issues.

When I moved in with Cathy in 2004 you would think I would have thought about maybe doing an energy audit but I was still working for the Sara Center and I was really absorbed by that project. I also assumed that if there were major problems Cathy would have found them by that time. She moved in in 1999 and had actually replaced the furnace with a really efficient one for the time. I guess by the time I got around to helping to start Community Energy Systems in 2007 my mind had been cleared by our fight to save our rather full and large (25 x 12 ft.) shed. That event marked the beginning of not only cursing the previous owner but realizing that there could be real problems with the house. I had never met a roof that I couldn’t get to stop leaking before I met this shed…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/quillus/118385662/in/set-539999/

I tried caulk. I tried Plastic Tarps. The Leak just got worse to the point where something really had to be done. It was rotting away. In the interim Cathy and I had been discussing getting a metal roof for the house. I had reservations mainly because Cathy wanted the metal roof because she want a “clean water” cistern system to use in the garden. A conventional roof was about 6,000 $$$ and a metal roof was like 15, 000 $$$. Finally I said to her, look we got to do something about the shed or tear it down which means we are going to have to spend money to hold the line until we get our new roof.

So we tore off the roof and immediately found the problem. There were 3 sets of shingles on the roof. To get ready for the sale to Cathy the previous owners had put a brand new set of shingles over 2 old sets. It was the oldest set that was causing the problem. They were so old that they had become water ABSORBENT! So we had to tear off a perfectly good set of shingles to get at and out of the real problem which had OBVIOUSLY been going on before the sale of the house and the previous owners knew about it. Very nice folks.

www.twincitiesdailyphoto.com/labels/cottage%2…

Scroll down to the post 5/30/2009 and you can see a picture of what the roof looked like under the new shingles. It was nasty. The water damage to the roof and the eves was extensive. Eventually however we got all that repaired and we put on a self adhesive roll roofing which cost about 300 $$$ and the cost of a laborer to help me was about 1,200 $$$. We had a lot of scrap lumber from our new and improved bathroom project. So we got off pretty cheaply.

http://www.cofair.com/peel_seal.aspx
But that got me to thinking. What else could be hiding in the house that had similarly been covered up? The answer to that when I found it was huge. After Cathy’s son moved out of the attic I had torn out the early 1960, very nasty carpet and cut it into strips so Cathy could use it as weed suppressing pathways in her garden.

100_1816.jpg

The other area of the house that we were having trouble with was in the basement. We had a room mate living there for years who had a dog. She bought a house and moved out so I tore the basement apart and cleaned it up. We had water problems, drainage problems and the whole thing was painted putrid green.

So I shut off the HVAC vents, shut the door to the attic and sealed it. What a mistake that was. More tomorrow.

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Deep Geothermal Energy – From the winds of the Jetstream to the Bowels of the earth

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I haven’t updated this particular topic area for awhile. I think this may hold the future for us all. Deep drilling for geothermal heat rates 3 pages in the New York Times Online. My. Maybe the rich and powerful are starting to get it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/energy-environment/24geotherm.html?pagewanted=1&%2359&_r=2&%2359;em&%2359;amp

 

Deep in Bedrock, Clean Energy and Quake Fears

 

By JAMES GLANZ

Published: June 23, 2009

BASEL, Switzerland — Markus O. Häring, a former oilman, was a hero in this city of medieval cathedrals and intense environmental passion three years ago, all because he had drilled a hole three miles deep near the corner of Neuhaus Street and Shafer Lane.

 

 

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The Danger of Digging DeeperInteractive Graphic

The Danger of Digging Deeper

 

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Christian Flieri for The New York Times

An earthquake halted Markus O. Häring’s geothermal project in Basel, Switzerland.

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He was prospecting for a vast source of clean, renewable energy that seemed straight out of a Jules Verne novel: the heat simmering within the earth’s bedrock.

All seemed to be going well — until Dec. 8, 2006, when the project set off an earthquake, shaking and damaging buildings and terrifying many in a city that, as every schoolchild here learns, had been devastated exactly 650 years before by a quake that sent two steeples of the Münster Cathedral tumbling into the Rhine.

Hastily shut down, Mr. Häring’s project was soon forgotten by nearly everyone outside Switzerland. As early as this week, though, an American start-up company, AltaRock Energy, will begin using nearly the same method to drill deep into ground laced with fault lines in an area two hours’ drive north of San Francisco.

Residents of the region, which straddles Lake and Sonoma Counties, have already been protesting swarms of smaller earthquakes set off by a less geologically invasive set of energy projects there. AltaRock officials said that they chose the spot in part because the history of mostly small quakes reassured them that the risks were limited.

Like the effort in Basel, the new project will tap geothermal energy by fracturing hard rock more than two miles deep to extract its heat. AltaRock, founded by Susan Petty, a veteran geothermal researcher, has secured more than $36 million from the Energy Department, several large venture-capital firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Google. AltaRock maintains that it will steer clear of large faults and that it can operate safely.

But in a report on seismic impact that AltaRock was required to file, the company failed to mention that the Basel program was shut down because of the earthquake it caused. AltaRock claimed it was uncertain that the project had caused the quake, even though Swiss government seismologists and officials on the Basel project agreed that it did. Nor did AltaRock mention the thousands of smaller earthquakes induced by the Basel project that continued for months after it shut down.

The California project is the first of dozens that could be operating in the United States in the next several years, driven by a push to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases and the Obama administration’s support for renewable energy.

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IN Australia where it holds huge potential, as it does on the whole ring of fire.

http://thinkgeoenergy.com/archives/1832

Australia opens round 2 of the Geothermal Drilling Program


Enlarge ImageAustralia opens the second round of the Geothermal Drilling Program and Australia’s Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP invites geothermal companies to submit applications for funding under this round of the A$50 million (US$39.8 million) program.

Written by: lxrichter
Picture: Habanero, Drilling Rig, Geodynamics (source: Geodynamics)
Reported today, Australia opens the second round of the Geothermal Drilling Program with “The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP inviting geothermal companies to submit applications for funding under Round 2 of the A$50 million (US$39.8 million) Geothermal Drilling Program, which opened today.

Round 2 funding will provide grants of up to A$7 million (US$5.6 million) on a matching-funding basis to support the drilling of deep geothermal wells and help finance geothermal proof-of-concept projects.
Geothermal energy producers pump water below ground (sometimes as deep as 5 kilometers (3.1 miles)), where it is heated by ‘hot rocks’. The heat energy is then used to generate electricity.

Ferguson said: “Geoscience Australia estimates that if just one per cent of Australia’s geothermal energy was extracted it would equate to 26,000 times Australia’s total annual energy consumption. “Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source with enormous potential in Australia; however, the Government recognizes technical development costs are high.

“The Australian Government is pleased to be able to support drilling at the first stage of development as part of its A$4.5 billion (US$3.5 billion) Clean Energy Initiative.

“Geothermal energy is important because it has the capacity to produce baseload power, diversify Australia’s energy supply and increase our energy security.

“The Australian Government has set a target for 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation to come from renewable sources by 2020; a policy which will likely require an additional 45,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity generation from renewable sources.

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HOT Rocks Rock

There Is Enough Wind Power To Generate The Electricity To Power The Entire World

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A very hairy paper from three Harvard Grad students purports to show that especially the USA, Canada and China have all the wind power that we need to generate all the electricity we currently need. The rest of the world does too but not within it’s own confines. In other words some areas like say the Tibetan Uplands have way more than they need and maybe landlocked Germany does not. So they would have to trade but the net wind power to generate the electricity exists according to:

Xi Lu, Michael McElroy, and Juha Kiviluoma in:

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/06/19/0904101106.full.pdf+html?sid=12c8f234-313a-48e6-8e65-a59a1ead2b29 

IN the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America – I tend to believe these guys-

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/06/19/0904101106.abstract?sid=12c8f234-313a-48e6-8e65-a59a1ead2b29

But all I can show you here is the abstrat because the 6 page paper is in PDF:

 

Global potential for wind-generated electricity

 

  1. Xi Lua,
  2. Michael B. McElroya,b,1 and
  3. Juha Kiviluomac

+Author Affiliations


  1. aSchool of Engineering and Applied Science, Cruft Lab 211, and

  2. bDepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, 100E Peirce Hall, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; and

  3. cVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P. O. Box 1000, 02044 VTT, Finland

  1. Communicated by James G. Anderson, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, April 29, 2009 (received for review November 6, 2008)

 

Abstract

The potential of wind power as a global source of electricity is assessed by using winds derived through assimilation of data from a variety of meteorological sources. The analysis indicates that a network of land-based 2.5-megawatt (MW) turbines restricted to nonforested, ice-free, nonurban areas operating at as little as 20% of their rated capacity could supply >40 times current worldwide consumption of electricity, >5 times total global use of energy in all forms. Resources in the contiguous United States, specifically in the central plain states, could accommodate as much as 16 times total current demand for electricity in the United States. Estimates are given also for quantities of electricity that could be obtained by using a network of 3.6-MW turbines deployed in ocean waters with depths <200 m within 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) of closest coastlines.

 

Footnotes

  • 1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mbm@seas.harvard.edu

  • Author contributions: X.L. and M.B.M. designed research; X.L. and M.B.M. performed research; X.L., M.B.M., and J.K. analyzed data; and X.L., M.B.M., and J.K. wrote the paper.

  • The authors declare no conflict of interest.

  • Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.

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http://www.pnas.org/

They have pretty pictures too.

For a not so bad summary:

Wind could power the entire world
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
June 22, 2009

Wind power may be the key to a clean energy revolution: a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science finds that wind power could provide for the entire world’s current and future energy needs.

To estimate the earth’s capacity for wind power, the researchers first sectioned the globe into areas of approximately 3,300 square kilometers (1,274 square miles) and surveyed local wind speeds every six hours. They imagined 2.5 megawatt turbines crisscrossing the terrestrial globe, excluding “areas classified as forested, areas occupied by permanent snow or ice, areas covered by water, and areas identified as either developed or urban,” according to the paper. They also included the possibility of 3.6 megawatt offshore wind turbines, but restricted them to 50 nautical miles off the coast and to oceans depths less than 200 meters.

Using this criteria the researchers found that wind energy could not only supply all of the world’s energy requirements, but it could provide over forty times the world’s current electrical consumption and over five times the global use of total energy needs.

Turning to the world’s two largest carbon emitters, China and the United States, the researchers found that wind power has the potential to easily supply both nations.


Windmill for pumping water in Kenya
Wind turbines for power generation in Maui.

“Large-scale development of wind power in China could allow for close to an 18-fold increase in electricity supply relative to consumption reported for 2005,” the researchers write. “The bulk of this wind power, 89%, could be derived from onshore installations. The potential for wind power in the U.S. is even greater, 23 times larger than current electricity consumption, the bulk of which, 84%, could be supplied onshore.”

Expanding their view to the top ten carbon emitters, the researchers found that Russia, Canada, and the United States (in this order) had the greatest capacity for wind power. However, they note that much of the area available for wind power in Russia and Canada is far from any cities, making their construction costly. In addition, the authors note that the public may oppose wind turbines in particular areas, especially remote, ecologically sensitive regions. Still, they conclude that “despite these limitations, it is clear that wind power could make a significant contribution to the demand for electricity” in most high carbon emitting countries. 

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http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/03/wind-energy-jobs-surpass-coal-mining-jobs/

Todd Woody reported last week that the wind energy industry now employs more people than coal mining. That is 85,000 jobs in wind – a 70% increase from 2007 – to coal mining’s 81,000 jobs.

http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/01/28/wind-jobs-outstrip-the-coal-industry/

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From Infinity And Beyond – Electricity from kites…yes yes Kites

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After an extended meditation like I just concluded on the Federal Energy Tax Credits (please click 2008 elections, international environmental groups and religion categories for more examples),  I am always at a loss for where to go next. I find it useful to just blow it out! So from Live Science and Yahoo I bring you some of the most implausible energy thoughts ever encountered by man:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/powerfulideasmileshighkitescouldgenerateelectricity

http://www.livescience.com/environment/090622-kite-wind-power.html

Environment

Powerful Ideas: Miles-High Kites Could Generate Electricity

By Charles Q. Choi, Special to LiveScience

posted: 22 June 2009 08:21 am ET

Full Size

1 of 1

wind power from kite and turbine
Airborne turbines like these depicted in this illustration could generate electricity from strong high-altitude winds. Credit: Ben Shepard, courtesy Sky WindPower

Editor’s Note: This occasional series looks at powerful ideas — some existing, some futuristic — for fueling and electrifying modern life.

The sky might literally be the limit for wind power — rotors spinning miles high could help supply electricity worldwide.

“There is a huge amount of energy available in high-altitude winds,” said researcher Ken Caldeira at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology in Stanford, Calif. “These winds blow much more strongly and steadily than near-surface winds, but you need to go get up miles to get a big advantage. Ideally, you would like to be up near the jet streams, around 30,000 feet.”

All told, if wind turbines miles above the planet were tethered to 10 percent of the world’s land, there is enough energy in these jet stream winds to meet world demand 100 times over, researchers said.

Jet streams are meandering belts of fast winds at altitudes between 20,000 and 50,000 feet. They shift seasonally, but are otherwise persistent features in the atmosphere. Jet stream winds are generally steadier and 10 times faster than wind near the ground, making them a potentially vast and dependable source of energy.

But how to capture the wind so high?

Kites and tethers

A number of technological schemes have been proposed to harvest energy from these high-altitude winds, including tethered, kite-like wind turbines lofted miles high. Up to 40 megawatts of electricity could be generated by current designs and transmitted to the ground via tether.

Using 28 years of weather data, the researchers developed the first-ever global survey of high-altitude wind energy.

“We found the highest wind power densities over Japan and eastern China, the eastern coast of the United States, southern Australia, and north eastern Africa,” said researcher Cristina Archer, an atmospheric scientist at California State University in Chico.

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You can go to the Energies site to see the scientific part of the study:

http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/2/2/340

Mesoscale Simulation of Year-to-Year Variation of Wind Power Potential over Southern China

Steve H. Yim 1 email, Jimmy C. Fung 1,2 email and Alexis K. Lau 1,3,* email

1 Institute for the Environment, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
2 Department of Mathematics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
3 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 27 April 2009; in revised form: 27 May 2009 / Accepted: 1 June 2009 / Published: 3 June 2009

PDF Full-textDownload PDF Full-Text (1202 KB)

Abstract: The objectives of this study are to combine historical observations and state-of-the-art numerical models (MM5/CALMET system) to map the spatial distribution of wind resources in high resolution, and to help foster a deeper understanding of the wind power potential over southern China (Guangdong). Hourly wind fields were simulated for three entire years (2004-2006). It found that almost 70% of the time, the wind speed along the coast of Guangdong is over 5 m/s, which is deemed a baseline magnitude for typical wind turbines. Spatial plots of the wind speed and power and their variations over Guangdong Province for the three years are also presented.

 

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For the SEX part of it…Generating energy from the jet stream …well it is awful high up there (40-50 miles), really really cold (100 degrees below zero) and really close to the cosmic rays…and it has been around for awhile. I mean looking up is to dream right?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVi_-dlDVcw

http://sleepgreen.info/?tag=energy

KINETIC ENERGY CREATES ELECTRICITY

Posted by admin | Green News | Wednesday 21 January 2009 2:43 pm

 

 

Dutch astronaut Dr Wubbo Ockels has successfully demonstrated i Netherlands his new energy concept. He has flown a high-flying energy kite, creating kinetic energy from huge radio-controlled highflying kites. He has designed ‘ladder-mills’ to store the kinetic energy and convert it into electricity.
Three such ladder-mills provide enough electricity to power one city. The experiment was carried out along the northern coastline of The Netherlands where there’s usually more than enough wind to raise the gigantic kites into.The radio- controlled, high-flying kites can create some 10,5kw electricity each, Dr Ockels told a local radio station.High-altitude kites could be used to generate clean energy at a cost comparable with that of fossil fuel generation , researchers claim.The “Ladder-Mill” is a chain of controllable wing-like kites attached to a looped cable stretching more than five miles into the sky.Strong high altitude winds acting on the “kitewings” produce as upward force on one side of the loop and a downward force on the other, causing it to rotate.The slowly turning cable drives a power generator in the Ladder-Mill base station.Although the concept sounds far fetched, its developers at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands hope to build a working model in the next four years.

They claim one Ladder-Mill could generate 100 megawatts of electricity, compared with only a few megawatts from a conventional wind turbine.

Winds at 30,000ft are 20 times more powerful than at sea level.

Professor Ockels, an ex-astronaut and head of the European Space Agency’s education office, told The Engineer magazine: “Above a certain altitude there is a massive amount of wind power.

Source:
http://alt-e.blogspot.com/2004/12/wind-power-laddermills-high-altitude.html
http://www.rense.com/general78/kinet.htm

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Did you know that people have even tried to use kites for COMMERCIAL FISHING?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kite_applications

Kite applications

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

The kite is used to do certain things; one kite or many kites are applied to achieve certain purposes, objectives, or tasks, that is: applications. Humans have applied the kite to bring perceived benefits during peace and war alike. New applications for the kite continue to be found. Only some innovative applications appear in national patents; others are communicated in newspapers, magazines, books, and internet pages. Air kites, water kites, bi-media kites, fluid kites, gas kites, kytoons, paravanes, soil kites, solid kites, and plasma kites have niche applications that are furthering the interests of humans. Non-human-made kites have applications; some spiders make use of kiting.

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If you click on 17 or 24 you can see the energy apps. By the way # 24 is funded by Google.

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Feds Form 5695 That You Use To Claim The Big Ticket Items In The Stimulus Package

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I know that this is an obvious ploy for google numbers but I am the original google whore. I tried to get the PDF file from the Feds converted to a Word file so we could become the goto site for such things but I failed miserabley…(psss. it jam band friday –http://www.youtube.com )

All I succeeded in doing was getting the instructions but I think even they are instructive. In fact I will put the locations of the forms 5695, 3800 and 8910:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5695.pdf

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8910.pdf

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f3800.pdf

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8OgkjcW0g4

There was a comedian whose whole stick was to read the tax code in a very high minded and serious tone and used to cause audiences to roar. This was the case because we have all had our tax code moments, because we can imagine little people in offices dreaming this shit up, and because we can see people taking advantage of it.

General Instructions

Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code.

What’s New for 2008 Nonbusiness energy property credit expired. You cannot take the nonbusiness energy property credit for property placed in service in 2008.

Credit expanded. You can now include costs for qualified small wind energy property and qualified geothermal heat pump property in figuring the residential energy efficient property credit.

What’s New for 2009 Nonbusiness energy property credit available. The nonbusiness energy property credit will be available for property placed in service in 2009. The credit is available for items such as high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, water heaters, windows, doors, and insulation. The amount of the credit will be limited by the amount of any nonbusiness energy property credit you took in 2006 or 2007.

Qualified solar electric property. There is no limit on the amount of qualified solar electric property costs when figuring the residential energy efficient property credit.

Purpose of Form

Use Form 5695 to figure and take your residential energy efficient property credit, including any credit carryforward from 2007. :}

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zkEppr68PM

Apperently you can not be a human and take advantage of this but if you are a Home well you are in like Flin.

Who Can Take the Credit

You may be able to take the credit if you made energy saving improvements to your home located in the United States in 2008. For credit purposes, costs are treated as being paid when the original installation of the item is completed, or in the case of costs connected with the construction or reconstruction of your home, when your original use of the constructed or reconstructed home begins. If less than 80% of the use of an item is for nonbusiness purposes, only that portion of the costs that are allocable to the nonbusiness use can be used to determine the credit.

Home. A home is where you lived in 2008 and can include a house, houseboat, mobile home, cooperative apartment, condominium, and a manufactured home that conforms to Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards.

You must reduce the basis of your home by the amount of any credits allowed.

Main home. Your main home is generally the home where you live most of the time. A temporary absence due to special circumstances, such as illness, education, business, military service, or vacation, will not change your main home.

Special rules. If you are a member of a condominium management association for a condominium you own or a tenant-stockholder in a cooperative housing corporation, you are treated as having paid your proportionate share of any costs of such association or corporation.

Subsidized energy financing. Any amounts provided for by subsidized energy financing cannot be used to figure the credit. This is financing provided under a

federal, state, or local program, the principal purpose of

which is to provide subsidized financing for projects designed to conserve or produce energy.

Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit

You may be able to take a credit of 30% of your costs of qualified solar electric property, solar water heating property, fuel cell property, small wind energy property, and geothermal heat pump property. This includes labor costs properly allocable to the onsite preparation, assembly, or original installation of the property and for piping or wiring to interconnect such property to the home. This credit is limited to:

•                      $2,000 for qualified solar electric property costs,

•                      $2,000 for qualified solar water heating property costs,

•                      $500 for each one-half kilowatt of capacity of qualified fuel cell property for which qualified fuel cell property costs are paid.

•                      $500 for each one-half kilowatt of capacity of qualified small wind energy property for which qualified small wind energy property costs are paid (not to exceed $4,000), and

•                      $2,000 for qualified geothermal heat pump property costs.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byjPd28KegM

I could let this stuff go with out comment but then that is nearly impossible. So if I spend money to cut down my neighbors tree so I can get my solar access back, is that tax deductible?

Qualified solar electric property costs. Qualified solar electric property costs are costs for property that uses solar energy to generate electricity for use in your home located in the United States. This includes costs relating to a solar panel or other property installed as a roof or a portion of a roof. The home does not have to be your main home.

Qualified solar water heating property costs.

Qualified solar water heating property costs are costs for property to heat water for use in your home located in the United States if at least half of the energy used by the solar water heating property for such purpose is derived from the sun. This includes costs relating to a solar panel or other property installed as a roof or a portion of a roof. To qualify for the credit, the property must be certified for performance by the nonprofit Solar Rating Certification Corporation or a comparable entity endorsed by the government of the state in which the property is installed. The home does not have to be your main home.

Qualified fuel cell property costs. Qualified fuel cell property costs are costs for qualified fuel cell property installed on or in connection with your main home located in the United States. Qualified fuel cell property is an integrated system comprised of a fuel cell stack assembly and associated balance of plant components that converts a fuel into electricity using electrochemical means. To qualify for the credit, the fuel cell property must have a nameplate capacity of at least one-half kilowatt of electricity using an electrochemical process and an electricity-only generation efficiency greater than 30%.

Costs allocable to a swimming pool, hot tub, or any other energy storage medium which has a function other than the function of such storage do not qualify for the residential energy efficiency credit.  

Qualified small wind energy property costs.

Qualified small wind energy property costs are costs for property that uses a wind turbine to generate electricity for use in connection with your home located in the United States. The home does not have to be your main home.

Qualified geothermal heat pump property costs.

Qualified geothermal heat pump property costs are costs for qualified geothermal heat pump property installed on or in connection with your home located in the United States. Qualified geothermal heat pump property is any equipment that uses the ground or ground water as a thermal energy source to heat your home or as a thermal energy sink to cool your home. To qualifiy for the credit, the geothermal heat pump property must meet the requirements of the Energy Star program that are in effect at the time of purchase. The home does not have to be your main home.

Married taxpayers with more than one home. If you or your spouse lived in more than one home, the credit limits would apply to each of you separately. For qualified fuel cell property, the homes must be your main homes. If you are filing separate returns, both of you must complete a separate Form 5695. If you are filing a joint return, figure your nonbusiness energy property credit as follows.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e3cR2H38Wo&feature=related So what do you want to be when you grow up little Johnny? Tax payer A or Tax payer B?

1.        Complete a separate Form 5695 for each home through line 21.

2.        On one of the forms, complete line 22. Then, figure the amount to be entered on line 23 of both forms and enter the combined amount on line 23 of this form.

3.        On the dotted line to the left of the entry space for line 23, enter “More than one home”. Then, complete the rest of this form.

4.        Attach both forms to your return. Joint occupancy. If you occupied your home jointly, each occupant must complete his or her own Form 5695. To figure the credit, the maximum qualifying costs that can be taken into account by all occupants for figuring the credit is $6,667 for qualified solar electric, solar water heating, or geothermal heat pump property; and $1,667 for each one-half kilowatt of capacity of qualified fuel cell or small wind energy property (not to exceed $13,333 for qualified small

 

wind energy property). The amount allocable to you is the lesser of:

1. The amount you paid, or

2. The maximum qualifying cost of the property multiplied by a fraction. The numerator is the amount you paid and the denominator is the total amount paid by you and all other occupants.

These rules do not apply to married individuals filing a joint return.

Example. Taxpayer A owns a house with Taxpayer B where they both reside. In 2008, they installed qualified solar water heating property at a cost of $8,000. Taxpayer A paid $6,000 towards the cost of the property and Taxpayer B paid the remaining $2,000. The amount of cost allocable to Taxpayer A is $5,000 ($6,667 X $6,000/$8,000). The amount of cost allocable to Taxpayer B is $1,667 ($6,667 X $2,000/$8,000).

Specific Instructions

 Also include on lines 1, 5, 9, 13, or 18, any

labor costs properly allocable to the onsite

preparation, assembly, or original installation

of the property and for piping or wiring to interconnect such property to the home.

Line 1

Enter the amounts you paid for qualified solar electric property. See Qualified solar electric property costs on page 3.

Line 5

Enter the amounts you paid for qualified solar water heating property. See Qualified solar water heating property costs on page 3.

Line 9

Enter the amounts you paid for qualified fuel cell property. See Qualified fuel cell property costs on page 3.

Line 13

Enter the amounts you paid for qualified small wind energy property. See Qualified small wind energy property costs on this page.

Line 18

Enter the amounts you paid for qualified geothermal heat pump property. See Qualified geothermal heat pump property costs on this page.

Line 25

If you are claiming the child tax credit for 2008, include on this line the amount from line 12 of the Line 11 Worksheet in Pub. 972.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8jDc_vu9is

Right about now you are saying I can’t take anymore. Why did I ever think about doing these energy improvements. Get me out of this tax hell. But there is more.

If you are not claiming the child tax credit for 2008, you do not need Pub. 972.

Line 28

If you cannot use all of the credit because of the tax liability limit (line 26 is less than line 23), you can carry the unused portion of the credit to 2009.

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We ask for the information on this form to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. You are required to give us the information. We need it to ensure that you are complying with these laws and to allow us to figure and collect the right amount of tax.

You are not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax returns and return information are confidential, as required by section 6103.

The average time and expenses required to complete and file this form will vary depending on individual circumstances. For the estimated averages, see the instructions for your income tax return.

If you have suggestions for making this form simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. See the instructions for your income tax return.

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Now all you have to do is make copies for your records, double check that everything is signed, put it all in an envelop with the proper postage and address, mail it off and PRAY…have a nice day.

http://www.rooftopcomedy.com/watch/SouthernObamaSupport

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Feds Tax Credits For Fuel Cell Use – Say what?

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1

Talk about an exotic credit. Wonder who is going to cash in on this? First the Tax Credit.

Not there silly – here>

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#s5

Fuel Cells Residential Fuel Cell and microturbine system Efficiency of at least 30% and must have a capacity of at least 0.5 kW. 30% of the cost, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STARMust be placed in service before December 31, 2016.

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Then the product

Acumentrics’ AHEAD: Residential Fuel Cell Heat & Power System

Think AHEAD:
Distributed Power Generation for Homeowners


Imagine a furnace that makes electricity, too. The Acumentrics AHEAD (click on link for specifications) is just that. The AHEAD uses fuel cells to generate heat and power for the home, with peak demands being handled by the grid or batteries. It runs off municipal gas or propane. This combined-heat-and-power unit (micro-CHP) can even meter excess electricity back to the grid. On-site generation has never been more clean, quiet, or secure.

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Or here…but this is all very experimental:

http://blog.fuelcellstore.com/?cat=7

http://www.cfcl.com.au/

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited

There is growing demand for energy across the globe. Demand for electricity is forecast to double from 2002 to 2025. Yet the existing supplies may not cope with this demand, and significant investment is needed in new generation systems that also meet higher efficiency and environmental standards.

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL) is providing solutions.

CFCL is a world leader in developing solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology to provide reliable, energy efficient, high quality, and low-emission electricity from widely available natural gas and renewable fuels. CFCL is developing SOFC products for small-scale on-site micro combined heat and power (m-CHP) and distributed generation units that co-generate electricity and heat for domestic use

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Then there are microturbines:

http://www.energy.ca.gov/distgen/equipment/microturbines/microturbines.html

Microturbines are small combustion turbines that produce between 25 kW and 500 kW of power. Microturbines were derived from turbocharger technologies found in large trucks or the turbines in aircraft auxiliary power units (APUs). Most microturbines are single-stage, radial flow devices with high rotating speeds of 90,000 to 120,000 revolutions per minute. However, a few manufacturers have developed alternative systems with multiple stages and/or lower rotation speeds.

Microturbines are nearing commercial status. Capstone, for example, has delivered over 2,400 microturbines to customers (2003). However, many of the microturbine installations are still undergoing field tests or are part of large-scale demonstrations.

 Capstone Microturbine
Photo Source: Capstone

Microturbine Overview

Commercially Available

Yes (Limited)

Size Range

25 – 500 kW

Fuel

Natural gas, hydrogen, propane, diesel

Efficiency

20 – 30% (Recuperated)

Environmental

Low (< 9 – 50 ppm) NOx

Other Features

Cogen (50 – 80°C water)

Commercial Status

Small volume production, commercial prototypes now.

Microturbine generators can be divided in two general classes:

  • Recuperated microturbines, which recover the heat from the exhaust gas to boost the temperature of combustion and increase the efficiency, and
  • Unrecuperated (or simple cycle) microturbines, which have lower efficiencies, but also lower capital costs.

While some early product introductions have featured unrecuperated designs, the bulk of developers’ efforts are focused on recuperated systems. The recuperator recovers heat from the exhaust gas in order to boost the temperature of the air stream supplied to the combustor. Further exhaust heat recovery can be used in a cogeneration configuration. The figure below illustrates a recuperated microturbine system.

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Wave of the future or dumb tax give away…you be the judge.

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Feds Small Wind Tax Credit – It’s a small wind a gona blow

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2

The advances in “personal wind turbines” in the last 10 years have been amazing. Now you can get 3 kwh, 10 kwh or even 20 kwh on your property pretty much overnight. Most companies are pushing integrated systems with 3 kwh solar and 10 kwh wind. I mean for 30-40k your energy needs for your lifetime are done. But first the Tax Credits.

Small Wind Energy Systems Residential Small Wind Turbines Has nameplate capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts. 30% of cost Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STARMust be placed in service before December 31, 2016.

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These companies are spreading like wildfire so I will only post a few of the vertical ones and a few horizontal ones. First the vertical ones:

http://www.highplainswindandsolar.com/wind-turbine-power-landing-page.html?gclid=CJbiqpXQjJsCFRPxDAodKQqdqA

 

 

Free On-Site Analysis ($500 Value) – Limited Time Offer

Wind Turbines for Homes, Farms, and Small Businesses

Let an expert from High Plains Construction answer all your questions and figure out if a wind turbine is right for you. High Plains Construction is a licensed contractor that specializes in wind turbines for homes, farms, and small businesses. High Plains will handle all aspects of your project including:

Site Assessment
Feasibility Study
Obtaining a Permit
Engineering
Finding Federal Tax Incentives
Grant Writing
Financing
Assembly
Erection
Electrical Work
Grid Connection

Call us today at 1-888-715-8820 or fill out our online form to schedule a FREE On-Site
Analysis and Savings Study.

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OR

http://www.makemyhomeenergy.com/buildwindmill2.php?apid=B100225W

 

Earth4Energy

Earth4Energy claims to have everything you need to make the most of solar power and energy throughout your home.

With countless features and access to an incredibly low priced value pack, this is certainly a program you are going to want to take into consideration.

Click Here For Detailed Product Review!

 

HomeMadeEnergy

There is a lot to know when it comes to solar energy and taking advantage of it from your home. HomeMadeEnergy will provide you with a guide they claim to be the best available and a plethora of highly detailed videos to help you throughout the process.

You will be off to living a safer, cheaper, and more efficient lifestyle in no time.

Click Here For Detailed Product Review!

 

Power 4 Home

There is not a person in the world that enjoys paying incredibly high electricity and energy bills.

Power 4 Home claims to have everything you need to start saving money while helping out the good of the environment.

Click Here For Detailed Product Review!

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Then there are the horizontal ones…Which years ago were considered a waste of time but their resistance to turbulence has got them back in the picture.

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/vertical_axis_wind_turbines.htm

Windspire Logo The Windspire® wind turbine is an affordable, attractive, and silent 1.2 kW vertical axis wind power appliance. Standing only 30 feet tall, the sleek design is well-suited to residential, business, and many other applications. Independently-tested and UL-certified, the Windspire features a fully-integrated design, including a high-efficiency generator, integrated inverter, wireless performance monitor, and tilt-up monopole. The Windspire is made in the USA and is available through dealers.
Urban Green Energy - Worldwide wind energy suppliers Urban Green Energy is an international manufacturer of horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines. We supply on and off-grid systems around the world. Please visit our website to learn more about UGE.

 OR

http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/20/vertical-axis-turbines-the-future-of-micro-wind-energ/

 

Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines: The Future of Micro Wind? [w/video]

 

Written by Timothy B. Hurst

Published on June 20th, 2008

34 Comments

Posted in business, wind energy

 Walking the floor of WINDPOWER 2008, the annual conference and trade show for the wind energy industry, one couldn’t help but be transfixed by all of the different types of turbines – at least I couldn’t. The wind turbine has become the iconic of clean, renewable energy. But the classic three-bladed horizontal axis wind turbine, with its gracefully swooping blades, has become the symbol of not only renewable energy, but also of environmental consciousness and ecological possibility.

Despite the ubiquity of the three-bladed turbine, the oft-overlooked vertical-axes turbines are making quite a splash in the world of wind energy, especially in small and micro-applications. So what’s all the fuss about? Vertical-axis turbines apparently do not suffer from some of the same problems that plague small wind applications in urban settings including, aesthetic concerns, space requirements and sound levels

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Feds Tax Credits For Solar Panels – One for every roof in America

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5

If we had been this aggressive for the last 30 years. We would have a green economy and we would be skipping all of the problems we have right now. The world would have followed suit and our species would not be in the danger it is now. Grousing doesn’t help though..First the Tax Credits…

Not there silly over here

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#s4

Solar Energy Systems

Photovoltaic Systems Photovoltaic systems must provide electricity for the residence, and must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirement. 30% of cost Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STARMust be placed in service before December 31, 2016.

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You’ll never guess who is doing it.

http://www.bp.com/genericcountryjump.do?categoryId=9070&contentId=7038143

Partner with BP Solar

Tools

How to buy

 

Request more information

 

Rebates and incentives

 

Solar savings estimator

 

Is solar right for me?

 

 

 

 

Visit us at the PV America conference, booth 1303

June 8-10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

Teichert home

Home solutions

Industry leading solar solutions

Solar panels in a field

Business solutions

Save money, improve your brand

Builder installing panels

Builder solutions

 

Press releases

BP Solar to supply PV power systems for major retailer in California
22 April 2009

BP Solar lowers cost in drive toward grid-competitive electricity prices
31 March 2009

BP Solar to develop 37MW in projects for Long Island Power Authority
11 March 2009

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter dedicates new solar power system at CSU-Pueblo
13 January 2009

BP Solar announces completion of solar power pilot project
18 December 2008

 

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Now they are real proud of it. What does the future hold?

 

http://www.siliconsolar.com/flexible-solar-panels.html

 

 

Flexible Solar Panels – Consumer Ready Modules – OEM

Solar Store

Silicon Solar › Solar Panels › Flexible Solar Panels

Flexible Solar Panels: The lightest thin film flexible solar panels on today’s market are available from Silicon Solar.

Solar technology has reached its most convenient, lightweight form: the newly-engineered flexible solar panel. Silicon Solar is the proud carrier of over 50 modules of flexible solar panels, offered in a variety of sizes.

Through recent developments, Silicon Solar has provided ways of listing thin, light weight, flexible solar panels allowing for multiple applications to now be solar accessible that never were before.

Thin Film solar cells and panels now allow for several types of application to be introduced into the market including solar backpacks, solar thin film clothing and athletic apparel. We at Silicon Solar have taken these methods to the extreme and receive requests from customers who give us incentive and constructive feedback on developing new ways of utilizing this technology not only for them, but for you as well. Each flexible solar panel can be rolled up to 2 inches in diameter, making the paper thin solar cell one of the most durable and long lasting solar modules on the market.

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It is jam band Friday tomorrow and the topic is Solar Water Heaters. I know you can’t wait.

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Fed Tax Credits For Geothermal Heatpumps – Finally done with the boring stuff

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2

Now we get to fill out form 5695. Not only that but the credits are good until 2016 when Obama retires. But first the Tax Credits.

Not there silly here:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#c6

Geo-Thermal Heat Pump Geo-Thermal Heat Pump Same criteria as ENERGY STAR:Closed Loop:
EER >= 14.1
COP >= 3.3Open Loop:
EER >= 16.2
COP >= 3.6Direct Expansion:
EER >= 15
COP >= 3.5		 30% of the cost All ENERGY STAR geo-thermal heat pumps qualify for the tax credit.Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STARMust be “placed into service” before December 31, 2016.

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In this day and age everybody should know what a geothermal heat pump is, but if not:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_heat_pump

A geothermal heat pump (GHP) system is a central heating and/or air conditioning system that actively pumps heat to or from the shallow ground. It uses the earth as either a source of heat in the winter, or as a coolant in the summer. This design takes advantage of moderate temperatures in the shallow ground to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs. It may be combined with solar heating to form a geosolar system with even greater efficiency.

Geothermal heat pumps are also known by a variety of other names, including geoexchange, earth-coupled, earth energy, ground-source or water-source heat pump. The engineering and scientific community tend to prefer the terms “geoexchange” or “ground-source heat pumps” because very little of the heat originates from true geological sources.[1] Instead, these pumps draw energy from shallow ground heated by the sun in the summer. Genuine geothermal energy from the core of Earth is available only in places where volcanic activity comes close to the surface, and can usually be extracted without the help of a heat pump.

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Anyway the first one on the list is my favorite becaused the closed loop is the most flexible. You can run the piping horizontal to the ground if there are mining issues. Or you can go straight down like a well.

http://www.residential.carrier.com/products/geothermalheatpumps/gt-px.shtml

GT-PX Geothermal Heat Pump

Compare Products

 

Ultra-High-Efficient Geothermal Unit for Total Home Comfort

Carrier’s popular GT-PX series is our highest rated geothermal unit, featuring Puron® refrigerant; a two-stage compressor for efficiency; variable speed blower for comfort; E-coated coil; microprocessor control; and a robust, insulated cabinet for quiet operation. Available in vertical top flow, vertical bottom flow and horizontal flow, all with optional hot-water generator. In sizes from 2 through 6 tons.

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I used to be fascinated by Open  Loop systems because they seem so natural. Essentially if you are near a lake or a deep pond you vent your waste heat there. But now I see them as potential environmental disruptors but again this about tax credits. They don’t really care about the environment.

 http://www.bryant.com/products/geoheatpumps/index.shtml

Compare

 

GT-PX Geothermal

GT-PX Geothermal

  • Up to 4.6 COP (closed loop)
  • Up to 27.0 EER (closed loop)
  • Up to 5.1 COP (open loop)
  • Up to 31.5 EER (open loop)
  • Two-stage unloading scroll compressor
  • Variable speed blower motor
  • Puron® refrigerant
  • 10-year limited warranty on all compressor & major refrigeration components. 5-year limited warranty on other parts

 

GT-PG Geothermal

GT-PG Geothermal

  • Up to 4.2 COP (closed loop)
  • Up to 20.2 EER (closed loop)
  • Up to 5.1 COP (open loop)
  • Up to 28.1 EER (open loop)
  • Single stage scroll compressor
  • PSC blower (optional variable speed blower motor)
  • Puron refrigerant
  • 10-year limited warranty on all compressor & major refrigeration components. 5-year limited warranty on other parts

GT-G Geothermal

GT-G Geothermal

  • Up to 3.8 COP (closed loop)
  • Up to 18.5 EER (closed loop)
  • Up to 4.1 COP (open loop)
  • Up to 23.9 EER (open loop)
  • Single stage scroll compressor
  • PSC blower (optional variable speed blower motor)
  • 10-year limited warranty on all compressor & major refrigeration components. 5-year limited warranty on other parts

GT-G Geotherm
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As you can see they all have open loop options because a heat exchanger doesn’t care where it puts it’s heat.

The final version is pretty exotic. I guess they are appropriate if you are in an extreme environment:

http://www.renovation-headquarters.com/heating-geothermal.htm

Direct Expansion (DX): A geothermal heat pump system in which the refrigerant is circulated in pipes buried in the ground, rather than using a heat transfer fluid, such as water or antifreeze solution in a separate closed loop, and fluid to refrigerant heat exchanger. A DX system includes all of the equipment both inside and outside the house. DX systems may be single or multi-speed.

http://www.mrslim.com/Products/subCategory.asp?ProductCategoryID=24&ProductSubCategoryID=140or

or

 http://www.alibaba.com/product/earthenergysolutions-11290116-10854411/Geothermal_Heat_Pump_Waterless_Direct_Expansion.html

or

http://www.geothermix.com/english/product/direct1.html

Direct Expansion “DX” Units

A direct earth coupled heat pump or “DX” heat pump is one that has its refrigerant evaporator / condenser in direct thermal contact with the earth from which heat is either extracted from during the heating mode or introduced to during the cooling mode of operation.

The general refrigeration cycle of our DX machine is similar in nature to a conventional water-to-air or water-to-water heat pump in that there exist a compressor, expansion device, reversing valve, and refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger. Conventional technology concerned with heat pumps relies upon the transfer of heat from the ground by means of a secondary heat exchanger system and working fluid, e.g., water, which is pumped to the geothermal unit located in the heated structure. The conventional heat pump has it’s own internal primary heat exchanger which extracts heat (heating mode) or rejects heat (cooling mode) from this water, which is then pumped back to the earth to be reheated.

DX systems similarily use a ground coil system, however, the working fluid is a refrigerant and the copper groundloop is the primary heat exchanger. Such geothermal heat exchange is an efficient and effective way of achieving heat exchange in heating and air conditioning systems, and especially heat pump type systems. Since the ground temperature is relatively constant at 48 °F at a depth below the frost line, the available heat is constant.

DX Heat Cycle (Gif 11K)

The elimination of the secondary earth heat exchanger (typically plastic in nature) and its associated working fluid reduces the temperature difference required between the ground and the evaporating refrigerant yielding a higher suction pressure than a conventional system under similar circumstances and thus a higher efficiency.

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I like the closed loop the best:

If you are in Las Vegas and you need one installed try:

http://www.plumber-las-vegas.com

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Tax Credits For Standard Water Heaters – But who would buy these when you can have Solar

Posted on by
6

I am just posting these tax credits so people will know. I question why someone would buy a standard water heater when Solar water heaters are not that much more and are free over the life of the system (like forever).

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#c4

Water Heaters Gas, Oil, Propane Water Heater Energy Factor >= 0.82
or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%.		 30% of cost, up to $1,5002 All ENERGY STAR gas tankless water heaters will qualify.There are currently no ENERGY STAR qualified gas storage tank or gas condensing water heaters that qualify.View ENERGY STAR criteria for water heaters.For a partial list of qualifying products go to: Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Exit ENERGY STAR
Electric Heat Pump Water Heater Same criteria as ENERGY STAR: Energy Factor >= 2.0 30% of cost, up to $1,5002 All ENERGY STAR electric heat pump water heaters qualify for the tax credit.

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Of the above I like tankless and electric heat pump water heaters. Tankless I like the best:

http://www.rheemtankless.com/content/tankless/rheem/Residential.shtml

  • NEW 66 Direct Vent tankless model available
    • Temperature range from 85° to 140°
    • Great for homes with 2 to 3 bathrooms
    • Same great compact design
    • Gas inputs ranging from 11,000 to 180,000 BTUH, fully modulating
    • Adjustable for optimal use between sea level an 9,840 feet
    • 12-Year heat exchanger warranty
    • 5-Year limited parts warranty
    • 1-Year limited warranty
    • click here to learn more
  • Indoor and Outdoor Models Available (Applies to 53, 66, and 74 units after 7.1.08)
    • Available in Natural Gas and LP Models 12-Year Limited Warranty on Heat Exchanger *
    • 5-Year Limited Warranty on Parts *
    • 1-Year Limited Service Warranty
    • Continuous hot water
    • Energy saving design
    • Compact, space saving design
    • Intelligent electronic controls and sensors
    • Self diagnostic program
    • Digital display shows temperature setting and maintenance codes
    • Exclusive sensing burner technology
    • Exclusive film wrap overheat limiter
    • Built-in electric blower
    • Indoor units use Category III stainless steel vent
    • Indoor models supplied with a 120 Volt power cord
    • Low NOx emissions meet SCAQMD rule 1146 requirements
    • A remote control thermostat is included with all models (100 F – 140 F setpoint range) Requires 18 AWG, 2 conductor thermostat wire for remote control connection. Wire not included.
    • Optional additional remote controls are available

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Or:

http://www.noritz.com/homeowners/products/

NOTE: Noritz America does not offer fuel oil or electric tankless water heaters.

PLEASE CLICK ON HEATER IMAGES FOR MORE DETAILS.

Noritz tankless gas water heaters are designed and manufactured with 3 key factors in mind:

1. Energy savings
Using advanced water heating  technology, our on-demand systems are manufactured for high efficiency (83-94%). Noritz energy efficient hot water heaters can cut your current water heating costs up to half and conserve wasted energy spent on heating a traditional tank water heater. Noritz tankless gas hot water heaters are designed to ensure all of your hot water needs are met efficiently.

2. Space Savings & Durability
The space saving design of Noritz tankless gas water heaters allow for installation virtually anywhere, indoor or outdoor.  Our compact water heaters conserve space and emit low levels of CO2, providing a cleaner environment for you to live in.  Wall-mounted, saving valuable space, these compact water heaters are extremely durable and provide an extended long life capacity.

3. Safety & Assurance
Noritz tankless hot water heaters are always hot, providing endless hot water for all of your needs. We care for your safety and comfort, ensuring a hot water heater that is safe and convenient for everyone to use. The electronic Advanced Q Function control system helps prevent scalding dangers and sudden bursts of cold water, minimizing discomfort. Noritz designs and manufactures each tankless hot water heater with the user in mind, ensuring quality workmanship, parts and service. 

  • AVAILABLE MODEL TYPES

Noritz offers RESIDENTIAL and COMMERCIAL tankless gas (NG & LP) water heaters for 1 – 5 showers.  Noritz heaters are also linkable (via Quick-Connect or Multi-System) up to 24 units.  We also have the NH series which is specifically designed to heat homes.  The NH series can be use for such applications as floor heating, baseboards, radiators and driveways.

  • INSTALLATION COSTS

Noritz is the manufacturer and therefore do not offer installation services.  We rely on our trained installers to offer their professional services and workmanship.  Each home is different and unique so the installation price will range depending upon the amount of additional parts and labor involved.  Here are some factors that will affect the installation price:  Installation location (attic, basement, garage, outdoors, relocation, etc.), Venting pieces (direct vent, vertical, horizontal, etc.), Gas line upgrade (3/4″ gas line from gas meter), and Accessories (service valves, ScaleShield, etc).

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Electric Heat Pump Water Heater? Kind of a weird use of technology. I won’t say over kill but it is like a car that can turn into a boat. I f you are going to go geothermal why not go all the way..?

http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Plumbing/heat-pump-water-heaters

Summary

Heat pump water heater.Heat pumps have traditionally been used for space conditioning, but are now also being used for electric water heating. They are usually three times more efficient than electric resistance water heaters–meaning that they can produce the same amount of hot water for one-third the amount of electricity. Stand-alone heat pump water heaters (HPWH), which are described here, are different from heating and cooling heat pump systems that have integrated water-heating capability.

There are four basic types of stand-alone HPWH. The heat pump can be integrated with or separate from the hot water storage tank, and cool exhaust air can be exhausted to the room or to the outdoors (see Figures). Because HPWH take heat from the surrounding room air, they cool and dehumidify a space. This is a benefit during the cooling season and a drawback during the heating season.

An add-on HPWH can be used to convert an electric resistance water heater into a heat pump water heater. The optimum locations would be in a utility room, garage or basement; the unit requires air circulation to work effectively.

A typical residential HPWH can heat 15 gallons of water per hour by 80°F, with a final storage temperature between 120°F and 140°F. At the same time, a HPWH provides some room cooling. During the heating season, this incidental cooling increases space heating needs.

A typical residential HPWH draws less than one-third the power of a standard electric resistance heater. Some HPWH models only require 110v electricity, making them ideal for the “do-it-yourself” home owner.

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More tomorrow if I don’t kill myself first

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMD7Ezp3gWc

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