_RaT_
Super Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2000
- Messages
- 5,855
- Location
- Peoples Republic of Northern CA.
- Tractor
- Kioti 3510-SE HST
In response to Westcliffe
After taking a class on ICF construction (insulated concrete forms) I no longer can conclude that R value has much meaning. Air moves through open cell insulation freely, heated air rises, fiberglass is really a mediocre medium at best to insulate in todays world.
Somewhere I saw you mention what you pay to cool your home as well as the other needs throughout the summer months. The rude awakening will hit when/if your coal fired electrical plants are eliminated. Expect your electricity to exceed 30 cents a KW. Ask me how I know this, mine is about 32 cents a KW after transmission and distribution are factored in. You will discard your electric water heater. You will not heat with a heat pump, you might convert to a gas dryer, you will cool your home only to 80 plus degrees, you will consider solar but realize it is not cost effective, You will come to the conclusion that both wind and solar only work when the winds blowing and the sun is shinning, when it is not, you will need 100% backup which means a natural gas fired, a co generation or similar electrical generator, hydro or nuclear will need to be built to provide that 100% backup when alternative measures fail to produce. It gets complicated fast. Do expect to see much, much higher electrical rates. This will apply even if the US invades Canada and takes all their oil, invades Venezuela takes all of their oil and drills off the California coast.
In other words, GO NUCLEAR BABY!!!
After taking a class on ICF construction (insulated concrete forms) I no longer can conclude that R value has much meaning. Air moves through open cell insulation freely, heated air rises, fiberglass is really a mediocre medium at best to insulate in todays world.
Somewhere I saw you mention what you pay to cool your home as well as the other needs throughout the summer months. The rude awakening will hit when/if your coal fired electrical plants are eliminated. Expect your electricity to exceed 30 cents a KW. Ask me how I know this, mine is about 32 cents a KW after transmission and distribution are factored in. You will discard your electric water heater. You will not heat with a heat pump, you might convert to a gas dryer, you will cool your home only to 80 plus degrees, you will consider solar but realize it is not cost effective, You will come to the conclusion that both wind and solar only work when the winds blowing and the sun is shinning, when it is not, you will need 100% backup which means a natural gas fired, a co generation or similar electrical generator, hydro or nuclear will need to be built to provide that 100% backup when alternative measures fail to produce. It gets complicated fast. Do expect to see much, much higher electrical rates. This will apply even if the US invades Canada and takes all their oil, invades Venezuela takes all of their oil and drills off the California coast.
In other words, GO NUCLEAR BABY!!!