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Feeling Hot! Hot! Hot!

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  • N Offline
    N Offline
    Nagy Vilmos
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

    veni bibi saltavi

    O OriginalGriffO H M P 15 Replies Last reply
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    • N Nagy Vilmos

      Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

      veni bibi saltavi

      OriginalGriffO Offline
      OriginalGriffO Offline
      OriginalGriff
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      From what I've seen of renewables, if the estimate is "it will pay for itself in 15 years" then once you figure in the riding cost of fuels, taxes on the fuels, etc., and factor in the annual cleaning of the solar panels to make them continue to work efficiently... ...it'll break down after three years, and cost twice as much to fix as the original installation, "assuming I can get the parts, Squire". Our local council fitted a wind turbine at the Waste Dump / Recycling Centre on the grounds that it would save a fortune in the long run. And took it away two years later as it saved pretty much sod-all and cost a fortune to maintain... :laugh:

      Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
      "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

      S 1 Reply Last reply
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      • N Nagy Vilmos

        Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

        veni bibi saltavi

        O Offline
        O Offline
        Orjan Westin
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        My brother installed a heat exchange system for his farm in the north of Sweden, burying the pipes 1.5 meters down in a field. It produces enough heat to keep two decent-sized (ca 200 sq.meters) houses warm in winter, and hot water for both. It's not set up to provide cooling though. He reckons it will have paid for itself after 7 years, though this is helped by him letting one of the houses out with heating included in the rent. If you have space to install it, I reckon it makes sense. Just check expected lifetime and warranties of all the subsystems.

        1 Reply Last reply
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        • N Nagy Vilmos

          Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

          veni bibi saltavi

          H Offline
          H Offline
          HobbyProggy
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          My uncle has solar panels on his roof, he assumed that it pays after 15 to 20 years, according to the energy he produces and how much he needs for him self, the overproduction gets "selled". So basically you have to do the maths according to your need, your probable output and the possibility to sell overproduction? Solar panels pay off quite late if you don't have horrendous costs. But therefore you can call your self a little greener :) I will mount some on my house, as soon as i build it ^^ For the ground source heat pump, i have no one i know who uses that, but it seems a quite good thingy.

          if(this.signature != "") { MessageBox.Show("This is my signature: " + Environment.NewLine + signature); } else { MessageBox.Show("404-Signature not found"); }

          T 1 Reply Last reply
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          • N Nagy Vilmos

            Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

            veni bibi saltavi

            M Offline
            M Offline
            megaadam
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            I have no scientific experience but an often mentioned ballpark figure is 10 years and that is in Germany/Sweden so one would expect a somewhat better ratio in Hungary. I would get competing quotes - and maybe let Mrs. Wife do som harball Hungarian bargaining... :cool::cool::cool:

            Life is too shor

            N 1 Reply Last reply
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            • M megaadam

              I have no scientific experience but an often mentioned ballpark figure is 10 years and that is in Germany/Sweden so one would expect a somewhat better ratio in Hungary. I would get competing quotes - and maybe let Mrs. Wife do som harball Hungarian bargaining... :cool::cool::cool:

              Life is too shor

              N Offline
              N Offline
              Nagy Vilmos
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              When we get to the point of parting with some money, Mrs Wife will be in full control. She always is.

              veni bibi saltavi

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • N Nagy Vilmos

                Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

                veni bibi saltavi

                P Offline
                P Offline
                PhilLenoir
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                Nagy, I've had a geothermal HVAC system for over 12 years. Depending on your costs, I suspect that the pay-back time has been over estimated. I was in profit in under 10. These systems are extremely reliable and there are potentially more benefits than just economics. If your system uses forced air, in winter the air is warm, not hot. In summer the air is cool, not cold. This reduces issues of hot (cold) zones in the house and large temperature fluctuations. This makes it a very comfortable system. Normally the system should be set up to preheat your how water too(this might require installation of an insulated storage tank or a larger hot water tank to get the full benefit). I have quite an old compressor, there are now available multistage compressors that are a lot more efficient. hence my feeling that you pay-back should be quicker. My system cost me 35 - 40% of the heating energy and 30-35% for cooling, giving me a savings of over 60%. Cooling gives more savings than heating as your are pumping excess heat into cold water, not warm moist air as per normal air conditioning systems. Full disclosure: I also have an 8kW solar array, I'm a lifelong self-confessed eco-freak! (I drive a hybrid too).

                Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you eat.

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • N Nagy Vilmos

                  Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

                  veni bibi saltavi

                  C Offline
                  C Offline
                  Chris Losinger
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  we're in the process of building a house with group-loop heating / AC. there are some big tax credits for it, for us. we skipped the rooftop solar because of up-front cost, but it's something we'll do later if the money works out.

                  image processing toolkits | batch image processing

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                  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                    From what I've seen of renewables, if the estimate is "it will pay for itself in 15 years" then once you figure in the riding cost of fuels, taxes on the fuels, etc., and factor in the annual cleaning of the solar panels to make them continue to work efficiently... ...it'll break down after three years, and cost twice as much to fix as the original installation, "assuming I can get the parts, Squire". Our local council fitted a wind turbine at the Waste Dump / Recycling Centre on the grounds that it would save a fortune in the long run. And took it away two years later as it saved pretty much sod-all and cost a fortune to maintain... :laugh:

                    Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

                    S Offline
                    S Offline
                    Slacker007
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    Spot on! :thumbsup:

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • N Nagy Vilmos

                      Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

                      veni bibi saltavi

                      S Offline
                      S Offline
                      Slacker007
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      Nagy Vilmos wrote:

                      it pays for itself in around 15 years.

                      99.9% of anything you purchase, especially for your home should "pay for itself" withing 3-5 years, not 15.

                      P E 2 Replies Last reply
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                      • N Nagy Vilmos

                        Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

                        veni bibi saltavi

                        G Offline
                        G Offline
                        Gary Wheeler
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        A neighbor of mine had a system like that. The only problem came when a developer wanted to build in the area surrounding the neighborhood. My neighbor discovered that the aquifer level beneath his house would have lowered enough after the development that it would have rendered his system useless. Fortunately, this was symptomatic of other water problems with the development, and that helped prevent it.

                        Software Zen: delete this;

                        P 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • S Slacker007

                          Nagy Vilmos wrote:

                          it pays for itself in around 15 years.

                          99.9% of anything you purchase, especially for your home should "pay for itself" withing 3-5 years, not 15.

                          P Offline
                          P Offline
                          PhilLenoir
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Why? Purely from an investment standpoint, a certain 6.7% return is pretty damn good. It could be that power is cheaper in Hungary compared to installation cost, but 15 years is very conservative in my experience. If you are planning to sell within the 5 year horizon, you might not get the full value, although it should add to the selling price of the home. Many things we buy are effectively for consumption and have no payback per se. Even something like a geothermal installation might also improve comfort. and getting a return is a bonus, so the statement is questionable.

                          Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you eat.

                          S 1 Reply Last reply
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                          • P PhilLenoir

                            Why? Purely from an investment standpoint, a certain 6.7% return is pretty damn good. It could be that power is cheaper in Hungary compared to installation cost, but 15 years is very conservative in my experience. If you are planning to sell within the 5 year horizon, you might not get the full value, although it should add to the selling price of the home. Many things we buy are effectively for consumption and have no payback per se. Even something like a geothermal installation might also improve comfort. and getting a return is a bonus, so the statement is questionable.

                            Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you eat.

                            S Offline
                            S Offline
                            Slacker007
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            I personally don't know many people who have been in there home for more than 15 years. Getting a return on your investment in 15 years is totally absurd to me for a heating/cooling system.

                            P 1 Reply Last reply
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                            • G Gary Wheeler

                              A neighbor of mine had a system like that. The only problem came when a developer wanted to build in the area surrounding the neighborhood. My neighbor discovered that the aquifer level beneath his house would have lowered enough after the development that it would have rendered his system useless. Fortunately, this was symptomatic of other water problems with the development, and that helped prevent it.

                              Software Zen: delete this;

                              P Offline
                              P Offline
                              PhilLenoir
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Ground source loops do not rely on aquifers, Only a system that actually pumps water (open loop) relies on such (they also might use a deep well, pond or river for an open loop.) Ground source, vertical or horizontal, loops rely on heat transfer to the soil. The presence of water (wet soils) might improve energy transfer, but they probably reduce thermal inertia too, so unless the water is mobile and allows convection, the presence of water might actually be a bad thing. In any case it simply means an adjustment in the size of the loop.

                              Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you eat.

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                              • S Slacker007

                                I personally don't know many people who have been in there home for more than 15 years. Getting a return on your investment in 15 years is totally absurd to me for a heating/cooling system.

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                                PhilLenoir
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                Who said you need to be there for 15 years? Any real improvement in a house is reflected in its selling price. Again, if you sell in less than 5, you might take a bath, deeper research and advice from real estate professionals would be required as the value of the home is unlikely to be raised by the original installation cost. You could use exactly the same argument against new windows, a new roof or almost any home improvement. Try selling a house with any major feature missing or in poor repair! You get a return on your investment in year 1. It's only a wise investment if the return and the residual value (in this case how much it increases the value of the house) is better than placing the investment elsewhere and/or you get some other perceived value.

                                Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you eat.

                                S 1 Reply Last reply
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                                • P PhilLenoir

                                  Who said you need to be there for 15 years? Any real improvement in a house is reflected in its selling price. Again, if you sell in less than 5, you might take a bath, deeper research and advice from real estate professionals would be required as the value of the home is unlikely to be raised by the original installation cost. You could use exactly the same argument against new windows, a new roof or almost any home improvement. Try selling a house with any major feature missing or in poor repair! You get a return on your investment in year 1. It's only a wise investment if the return and the residual value (in this case how much it increases the value of the house) is better than placing the investment elsewhere and/or you get some other perceived value.

                                  Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you eat.

                                  S Offline
                                  S Offline
                                  Slacker007
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  PhilLenoir wrote:

                                  Any real improvement in a house is reflected in its selling price.

                                  IMHO, not an entirely true statement.

                                  P 1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • S Slacker007

                                    PhilLenoir wrote:

                                    Any real improvement in a house is reflected in its selling price.

                                    IMHO, not an entirely true statement.

                                    P Offline
                                    P Offline
                                    PhilLenoir
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    So you're saying you think people would pay the same for a house with leaky, compromised windows than for the same house with new double glazing or one that costs 1500 a year to heat and cool than one that costs 500? If this is true in your real estate market, I suggest that it's not normal.

                                    Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you eat.

                                    S 1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • N Nagy Vilmos

                                      Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

                                      veni bibi saltavi

                                      D Offline
                                      D Offline
                                      Duncan Edwards Jones
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      I have an air-sourced heat pump for about 10 years and it is working fine. You just set the desired temperature and it turns itself on and off to maintain that. I have heard that if you have a ground source version the ground side loop needs to be away from buildings as it can cause freezing (and therefore expansion) of the soil.

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                                      • N Nagy Vilmos

                                        Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

                                        veni bibi saltavi

                                        9 Offline
                                        9 Offline
                                        9082365
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        Ground source heat pump = thousands of currency units, disruptive installation, in most countries negotiating some kind of planning permission etc. etc. A really good lamb wool sweater = 50 currency units, instant effect. Just saying!

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • N Nagy Vilmos

                                          Not! Not! Not! We're looking at replacing the heating system in Hungary with a ground source heat pump. The system works by pumping cold water through the ground where it heats up, then a heat exchange in the house provides hot water and/or central heating. In the summer this can be reversed to cool the house down as well. As we have a large south facing roof, we should be able to power the whole thing from solar a PV bank. Net running cost should then be in the range of low to little. But then there's the cost of putting the system. Put this way, the latest quote I have received would mean that it pays for itself in around 15 years. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any other of the new fangled renewables.

                                          veni bibi saltavi

                                          S Offline
                                          S Offline
                                          snorkie
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          I put a solar system[^] on my house. July of this year will be 5 years since it was installed. I would suggest that if you do this, do it less because its a good investment and more because you want to do it. A few things to consider. * Even with a 15 year payback, what is the life of the equipment. (will it need to be replaced in 16 years? * Salespeople are great liars. If they claim it'll do something, take 10% off the claim and see if its still worthwhile. My numbers vs. claim are about 9% less * Solar panels loose efficiency every year they are on the roof, so they will have much less capacity after 15 years. Good luck. I'm happy with my system, but I never purchased it as an investment. I consider it tithing to my kid's future health! Hogan

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