Posts Tagged ‘Lakeland Florida’
Advanced Energy Efficiency for Buildings
ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers) is in the process of releasing booklets free to all interested people with practical step by step information that makes a building design save a projected 50% of the energy bills of conventional buildings being designed. To keep things simple, ASHRAE dedicates each booklet to a specific type of building: small offices/retail/warehouses/motels/educational/smaller healthcare facilities. These booklets are part of a long term commitment by ASHRAE to help create a world where buildings use dramatically less energy. The first stage was to release booklets that describe step by step information on how to save 30% on energy buildings being designed. I had mentioned these booklets on my home page. The new stage is 50% energy reductions. So far one free booklet is available in this category (for small offices). By the time you read this, there will probably more types of buildings available. In the future, expect guidelines for even higher energy targets. By the time 100% energy savings is a reality-buildings will likely need to be linked together with surrounding buildings in terms of energy features (like co-generation, waste heat recovery etc). ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers) is in the ...
Geothermal Myths
1. Geothermal is completely sustainable. (Depends). Geothermal in Florida uses the stable temperatures of the earth to benefit (not eliminate) mechanical cooling and heating processes. There will always be electricity needed for compressors and pumps ( in Florida). As geothermal grows in popularity, the effect on the ground water temperatures remains to be seen, but the vastness of the Floridian aquifers and the fact that they drain out into the sea has to be factored in. Geothermal in other parts of the country can be completely sustainable. 2. Geothermal is always the best system. (false). Geothermal has an undisputed advantage where heating and cooling occur at the same time. Cooling towers, for example can boast better performance during Florida winters. Multiple ductless systems at times have the advantage. Geothermal is not as conducive to high outside air as other types of systems. 3. Well drillers are experts who should be allowed to do their own thing. (False). While well drillers are the local experts on the aquifer systems, they are not engineers and have no workable knowledge of interfacing the well pump with the controls or the connected equipment. 4. Variable Frequency Drives solve all pumping problems. (false). Used correctly, VFD’s are powerful ...
maximum comfort, minimum costs
commercial air conditioning repair/replacement-get maximum comfort at the minimum cost. Let a licensed engineer assess your particular needs, obtain three qualified contractor bids for you (all based on the exact same scope of work), and then represent you throughout the contract negotiation and construction process. The costs for the engineering are typically more than made up from savings obtained by three competitive bids and from unbiased representation during construction/repair. Email me about your air conditioning problems and I can get you started with an assessment or a referral to a local engineer.
update on photovoltaic attic fan
[caption id="attachment_107" align="alignright" width="150" caption="installed fan"][/caption] Now that the heat has turned up, it is evident the solar powered attic fan I installed is more adequate for say 1,000 s.f. of roof area than the 2,200 sf I have. I am looking at installing a second unit for the hot season.
