Green Heating System on a Tight Budget

This week we're retrofitting a very green heating system in a former summer cottage. Unico high-velocity low volume air duct system, low-mass Biasi boiler with Riello burner, flat plate high-efficiency heat exchanger for domestic hot water. The overall efficiency of the system should be in the very high 80s, and the best part? Our bid came in lower than another company's proposal to install a conventional hot air furnace. Green doesn't mean an arm and a leg. And it pays dividends for a long, long time.

Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Shifts Focus

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, a utility-funded quasi-public fund administered by the State of CT, has refocused its funding initiatives away from residential photovoltaic subsidies.
All forms of commercial and industrial on-site co-generation, including wind, hydro, PV, and solar thermal, are being subsidized by grants already funded in the amount of 12.86 million dollars. Any project projected to yield more than 10,000 watts of peak power qualifies.
Subsidies are also available, at reduced rates, for residential PV installations up to 5,000 watts peak, when installed by "eligible" contractors.
The good news is that solar hot water subsidies, which do apply to residential consumers, have been increased by 60% and funded through March 2012. That's actually the bargain of the month from subsidies, as solar hot water in CT has a typical payback of 5-6 years, much more attractive than a 12-14 year payback on PV purchases and 20 year leases.
Adding up federal tax incentives, state tax incentives and Clean Energy subsidies, solar hot water is a fabulous deal, yielding solar hot water covering app. 75% of yearly costs for about one third the total installed cost of the system. If this appeals to you, even as we move toward colder weather in CT (my panels were cooking over 100 degrees all day, pre-heating my 80 gallons of storage), leave a comment or contact me.

Solar Panels not Historic--- Duh.

The link accesses a New London Day article covering a Ledyard Zoning Commission meeting in which PV panels recently installed on the roofs of Town Hall and the Bill Public Library were described as "ugly" and as having no place in a historic New England Village. May the day never come, but PV naysayers in Ledyard are presumably not ready to return to candles and privies, are they? No. Thought not.
An interesting contrast appears when we examine Europe's PV co-generating industry, actively supported by governments and utilities, in which panels are being installed on the roofs of buildings MUCH older than Ledyard Town Hall and Bill Library, with no objections from architectural purists.

Britain's Prince Charles exhorts owners of historic buildings in UK to refit them with energy features that make the buildings more liveable and energy-efficient, including roof panels.
A German study finds historic buildings apt candidates for energy retrofits and the mounting of panels, particularly flat roof PVs, and indeed, much of the architecture of Europe is older, but not likely to be torn down in favor of more modern, PV-friendly design.
Even the Vatican has installed an experimental PV array on one of their buildings, and advocates more energy equipment on Vatican rooftops, excepting possibly St. Peter's Cathedral. I can see the point.
Few New England historic buildings retain their original cedar shingle roofs, and thatch never really caught on in the Colonies, for some reason. What we find on Town Halls and other public historic buildings is mostly modern asphalt shingles put there not to look good but to keep rain and wind out. We've gotten used to these modern roof coverings, and they're now considered not jarring to historic sensibilities.
In time, we'll come to view PV arrays as acceptable aesthetic on our Town Halls, and indeed, concerned citizens will learn to expect such energy-saving features as signs of good stewardship from town officials and echoes of New England frugality, another historic value that could stand a revival.

New Rebates Make Solar Hot Water Attractive

Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, a state-run and utility funded agency to promote the advance of renewable energy in CT, has increased rebate rates for solar hot water, in some cases as much as 60%. At $275 per thousand BTU per day, a two panel system with adequate tanks, connected to your existing hot water system, might yield a rebate of as much as 5500 dollars, over half the cost of the system. Add in federal tax incentives, and you get renewable, clean energy for about a third of the market cost, and a resulting payback under five years. The system I installed at our house has yielded free hot water from march to october, and will pre-heat hot water to save us money all winter. if you're interested, give us a comment or a message. And a "like," too, while you're at it.See More

Solar Energy Primer - Someday You'll Need This

   The links in this post will connect you fundamental data about solar power. If you're still a solar skeptic, or a climate change skeptic, don't make the mistake of closing your ears to the information that might open the topic up for you. To be skeptical is human; to be closed-minded is fatal. Some, like this vendor site, link to other sites that can help. Others, like this one from National Geographic, are very general and cover technologies not available to ordinary people like us. But all in all, it's better to know a bit about everything, if you can. 

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/solar-power-profile.html

http://www.energy.gov/energysources/solar.htm

http://www.makeitsolar.com/solar-energy-information/

http://www.facts-about-solar-energy.com/                                                         thanks for checking in....   let's keep the learning curve on the rise.....

DIY Network Sifts Your Green Options

Whether you are a realtor, contractor or homeowner, the learning curve is essential, and the people at the DIY network look like good interpreters of the dizzying galaxy of options. The "Green" building movement is already full of grinning hucksters, and the consumer cannot safely pursue energy independence without a big self-education learning curve. Sorry. Or you could just follow my page. The Do It Yourself movement has become a tremendous resource for beta-testing self-styled green products and features in modern homes. Linked below, a list of green ideas is evaluated by DIY enthusiasts on a new TV show, This New House.

Rainwater for Irrigation and Emergencies

The device in the photo is the legendary rain barrel of song and story, and it's staging a comeback in conservation circles. Is your water metered? do you use that water to irrigate vegetable and ornamental plants? wash the car? wash the dog?
In the rain-starved American midwest, the rain barrel was used for many purposes, including emergency potable water. We don't recommend any potable uses of collected rainwater, but we invite you to calculate the savings and independence of having 50-100 gallons of water at your disposal all the time to supply outdoor and bulk needs. If you're chlorinating your pool, this water can be used. If you're watering your plants, perfect. If you're cleaning off muddy boots, go ahead.
The movement to revive the use of collected rainwater will gain momentum as groundwater becomes more scarce and less pure. And whatever you're paying per cubic foot for the municipal water supply, this water is free, and it's rather clean, and it's soft (minerally speaking). There's a national association at this link.
Observe safety precautions, please. Keep the lid secured, don't let the kids drink out of it or dance on the cover, and if it freezes in your climate, drain before winter sets in.