Posts Tagged ‘sustainability’
How Geothermal is Different in Florida
As geothermal air conditioning and heating gains popularity; a large and sometimes confusing amount of data is surfacing regarding geothermal techniques. I get asked a fair amount about what types of geothermal systems and I also hear a few reports of geothermal-gone-bad. To help clarify why Florida has a unique geothermal system compared to other parts of the US-- let's start above ground. Climate-wise, Florida has far more cooling demand than heating demand. This has a double impact. First, geothermal systems during a Florida summer pump more heat into the ground than they take out in winter (for space-heating purposes). This tends to make geothermal systems relying on surface temperatures unstable through time. Second, the winters in Florida are short and mild to the point that they are not able to "recharge" the ground temperatures. This is not to say that there aren't a few buildings in Florida with relatively matched heating and cooling loads though. I am referring here to buildings that use a lot of hot water for industrial processes or domestic purposes (such as factories, heavily used kitchens, and laundrymats). Cases like this warrant special consideration. Now, let's look below ground and see what else makes Florida different geothermally. The second thing that makes Florida unique geo-thermally ...
sustainable geothermal in Florida part VI
Hello again and thanks for the comments. Metal contact has come up several times as a drawback to using Florida's aquifers for geothermal heating and cooling. The point being that the aquifers are used for drinking water and irrigating food crops. Subjecting this water to continual contact with metals in geothermal pumps/heat exchangers/and piping can only add to the metal content in the water and eventually harm Florida resident's health. So without changes and refinements in geo-thermal; is metal content in water a permanent roadblock to the sustainability of geothermal in Florida? This is true and self evident, but is it a good reason to limit geothermal? In the years since I have been practicing engineering, I have seen many sweeping changes in engineering practices as a result of evolution. For example, not that long ago-asbestos was a welcomed product for insulation. As problems became evident with this product, so did solutions. (Asbestos doesn't exist now but it has given birth to better products). Refrigerants is a great example. The HVAC industry has grown in leaps and bounds with respect to refrigerants and environmental impact. And world-wide, precise plans are ...
More on Florida’s Aquifers and Sustainability
These recent blogs are a forum on whether or not increased geo-thermal designs and installations by Florida's contractors and HVAC engineers will cause aquifers to become contaminated with heat and metals. The heat coming from Florida's considerable air conditioning loads and the metals coming from contact between aquifer water and pipes, heat exchangers, and pumps. Today's point has to do with the thermal boundaries of Florida's aquifers. At least two factors naturally contribute to temperatures in the aquifers. One is the heat from the core of the earth itself. The closer one gets to the center of the earth the more heat one sees from the earth's core. Despite this, the Florida aquifer averages about 74F, which according to the Geothermal map of North America (link attached). So the end result of all the heat that goes into and out of Florida's aquifers is that the aquifer is considerable cooler than any other subteranean area in our latitude. Why? Florida's aquifers have this second factor in their thermal boundaries. Florida's annual downpour of rain. Parts of Florida receive over 60 inches of rain per year. This adds up to a vast amount of cool ...
Big day for solar
According to Frank Jordans (Associated Press Writer) in GENEVA today– An experimental solar-powered plane took off for its first 24-hour test flight Wednesday. The plane with its 262.5-foot (80-meter) wingspan left Payerne airfield in Switzerland shortly before 7 a.m. By midmorning pilot Andre Borschberg was cruising at 9,850 feet .
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.
Saving on Electric Bills
Cutting out waste on electric bills has a similar impact on a company as earning more business. Although the amounts of energy any given building wastes each month is a limited number, each dollar saved is entirely profit and the savings perpetuate themselves for years. With that in mind, most older buildings are overdesigned lighting wise. It is not uncommon for old-school electrical engineers to design lighting for the worst case. I have seen cases where 5 watts per square foot (or more) were used when 1.5 watt per square foot would have worked. There is a surprising difference between the amount of light an old pair of eyes needs to do detailed accounting paperwork(worst case) compared to the amount of light a young pair of eyes needs to look at a computer screen ( a best case scenario). Did you know too much light can keep you from seeing things clearly? It is a strange concept indoors but a readily observed fact when people drive cars into a setting sun or when hunters and fisherman strain to pick out tiny details. I cut the light almost in half in some offices and found the occupants preferred the lower light level. Many lighting designs ...
