Air conditioning blog - Page 2

NavalLord · 04-23-2008, 12:21 AM

Last summer by heating system was on the fritz. So during the height of summer when it was 85+ my boiler would be going and trying to heat up the house more.

Caslon · 04-23-2008, 12:46 AM

Last summer, major fires were burning close by. It was still 85 degrees so I had to have a box fan bringing in air to my condo. A lot of airborne ash to clean up.

That's why I've had it with passive cooling. 5 grand for new AC/Heating unit isn't much more than
a state of the art gaming PC.

I could go with just an AC install and keep a 20 year old cheap furnace. Naw, they tie in together at the furnace closet.

faker_phil · 04-23-2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrhahn

To be fair, I've been to Arizona in the summer and AC is definitely necessary.

True for those regions, but I lived in Kansas City for a year, and the AC is simply on every day all year round, even in temperatures us Europeans easily bear just opening our windows or using a fan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caslon

The Carrier 38HDR uses Puron as a refridgerant. Ozone friendly. Carrier developed Puron as a replacement to freon.

I didn't necessarily mean the system you are planning to put in, I am aware that there are ozone-friendly refridgerants by now. Still there is a high percentage of people running their AC on not so ozone-friendly refridgerants.
What I was playing at, though, is the electricity generated by burning fossile fuels or nuclear powerplants, which is, in my eyes, wasted for above reasons.

Caslon · 04-23-2008, 12:08 PM

Rolling blackouts might happen more often. Fossil fuel electrical energy plants aren't being made much anymore. Not to mention that there hasn't been a gasoline refinery built in the last 15+ years, nor is there one in development.

mrhahn · 04-23-2008, 03:27 PM

Solar-powered AC - it makes so much sense!

NavalLord · 04-23-2008, 06:15 PM

I love it when stores and restaurants have the AC on during the winter.

faker_phil · 04-23-2008, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caslon

Fossil fuel electrical energy plants aren't being made much anymore.

Still doesn't change the fact that electric power generation in the US is split up like this (2005).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caslon

Not to mention that there hasn't been a gasoline refinery built in the last 15+ years, nor is there one in development.

While that is a nice fact, the reason for it isn't the US going "green power", it's the lack of oil and/or cost of refinement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrhahn

Solar-powered AC - it makes so much sense!

Please tell me that wasn't meant sarcastic. Take a look at this article, it describes a concept of a solar plant that could power Europe plus 2/3 of the third-world countries while being only the size of 0.3% of the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa.
My physics teacher actually introduced me to this idea a while back, although he also explained why it wouldn't be implemented yet. In Europe, figuratively speaking, nuclear power and power gained from fossile fuels costs the electricity companies 5 cents per kWh. With this plant, it would be 20 cents. So the power lobby will hold off on that idea until, well, fossile fuel becomes so rare that prices reach 20 cents, making it profitable to switch to large scale solar energy.
Bummer, because by that time it will be too late to reverse most of the effects of global warming.

mrhahn · 04-23-2008, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faker_phil

Please tell me that wasn't meant sarcastic.

Nope, not sarcastic! Although I was thinking more of an individual unit being solar-powered... the logic being that when the sun's out, you want the unit working. And at night, maybe not so much. It's probably not workable on such a small scale though, I guess that's where solar plants are important.

In an ideal world (and if I lived somewhere sunny!) I'd like a house with enough solar panels to not only power itself, but maybe to pass some back to the grid for profit. Of course the setup costs would be pretty high, but you know.. this is in a hypothetical world where I'm rich as hell

NavalLord · 04-23-2008, 10:23 PM

Also get an electric car that you plug into your house at night, so the power gathered from the panels would be put into your car. Thus the car would run off of solar power, and thusly thuswise you would be completely solar powered.

faker_phil · 04-24-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrhahn

It's probably not workable on such a small scale though, I guess that's where solar plants are important.

It is possible, it's just expensive as fook

Caslon · 04-26-2008, 07:11 AM

Solar power is definately a cool way to go if you've got the bucks and don't live in too much of a city grid.
Nuclear fusion is a ways off, so I think we'll depend on fossil fuels until then.

Brazil just discovered 2 sites with a potential of 20 billion barrels of crude oil.
Matching Saudia Arabia and Kuwait for the biggest potential oil find in the last 15 years.

Some are saying if what Brazil is saying, pans out...the US won't need to keep the mideast stabilized with all our military and diplomatic presence there, being that we would be no longer totally dependent on the mid-east for oil.

Some propose that all hell could break loose there, if, Brazil's new discovery of vast oil is true.

The US would naturally not need to maintain such a presence there in the mid-east, for oil.

"BRAZIL has discovered huge new petroleum reserves in its south that could turn the country into one of the biggest oil producers in the world, the government and its state-controlled oil company has announced."

Bottom line...
We ain't going anywhere past fossil fuels for the next two decades, folks. Not untill science achieves a sustanable very high, effeciant temperature for nuclear fusion. That takes a lot of power.

faker_phil · 04-26-2008, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caslon

We ain't going anywhere past fossil fuels for the next two decades, folks.

And you would be fine with that?

Caslon · 04-26-2008, 09:49 AM

It's not a matter of being fine with that. The world isn't going to reduce it's need on fossil fuels anytime soon. Non fossil fuel energy isn't going anywhere anytime for at least 2 decades.

The worst of two evils...add more nuclear power plants and the toxic waste that must be stored for 100 years, or...fossil fuels.

Passive energy.... Wind Turbines? Solar? Still less than 1 percent of the energy needs.

YA...it'd be awesome to afford an estate built on solar or wind turbines. They are mostly located out in the far country...up on a some hill.

faker_phil · 04-26-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caslon

The world isn't going to reduce it's need on fossil fuels anytime soon.

It will need to, or there won't be anyone left to use "non fossile fuel energy".

Caslon · 04-26-2008, 11:42 AM

Nuclear fusion is whats to come, too far off to say.

faker_phil · 04-26-2008, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caslon

Passive energy.... Wind Turbines? Solar? Still less than 1 percent of the energy needs.

What are you basing that information on? Did you read the article I linked to?

04-23-2008, 12:21 AM	#21 (permalink)
NavalLord Forum Moderator Brigadier General Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 6,103	Re: Air conditioning blog Last summer by heating system was on the fritz. So during the height of summer when it was 85+ my boiler would be going and trying to heat up the house more. __________________

04-23-2008, 12:46 AM	#22 (permalink)
Caslon Lieutenant Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep inside the Earth. Posts: 4,803	Re: Air conditioning blog Last summer, major fires were burning close by. It was still 85 degrees so I had to have a box fan bringing in air to my condo. A lot of airborne ash to clean up. That's why I've had it with passive cooling. 5 grand for new AC/Heating unit isn't much more than a state of the art gaming PC. I could go with just an AC install and keep a 20 year old cheap furnace. Naw, they tie in together at the furnace closet. Last edited by Caslon : 04-23-2008 at 01:00 AM.

04-23-2008, 12:08 PM	#24 (permalink)
Caslon Lieutenant Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep inside the Earth. Posts: 4,803	Re: Air conditioning blog Rolling blackouts might happen more often. Fossil fuel electrical energy plants aren't being made much anymore. Not to mention that there hasn't been a gasoline refinery built in the last 15+ years, nor is there one in development.

04-23-2008, 03:27 PM	#25 (permalink)
mrhahn General Join Date: May 2004 Location: UK Posts: 1,965	Re: Air conditioning blog Solar-powered AC - it makes so much sense! __________________ Donate to help keep BFN running.

04-23-2008, 06:15 PM	#26 (permalink)
NavalLord Forum Moderator Brigadier General Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 6,103	Re: Air conditioning blog I love it when stores and restaurants have the AC on during the winter. __________________

04-23-2008, 10:23 PM	#29 (permalink)
NavalLord Forum Moderator Brigadier General Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 6,103	Re: Air conditioning blog Also get an electric car that you plug into your house at night, so the power gathered from the panels would be put into your car. Thus the car would run off of solar power, and thusly thuswise you would be completely solar powered. __________________

04-26-2008, 07:11 AM	#31 (permalink)
Caslon Lieutenant Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep inside the Earth. Posts: 4,803	Re: Air conditioning blog Solar power is definately a cool way to go if you've got the bucks and don't live in too much of a city grid. Nuclear fusion is a ways off, so I think we'll depend on fossil fuels until then. Brazil just discovered 2 sites with a potential of 20 billion barrels of crude oil. Matching Saudia Arabia and Kuwait for the biggest potential oil find in the last 15 years. Some are saying if what Brazil is saying, pans out...the US won't need to keep the mideast stabilized with all our military and diplomatic presence there, being that we would be no longer totally dependent on the mid-east for oil. Some propose that all hell could break loose there, if, Brazil's new discovery of vast oil is true. The US would naturally not need to maintain such a presence there in the mid-east, for oil. "BRAZIL has discovered huge new petroleum reserves in its south that could turn the country into one of the biggest oil producers in the world, the government and its state-controlled oil company has announced." Bottom line... We ain't going anywhere past fossil fuels for the next two decades, folks. Not untill science achieves a sustanable very high, effeciant temperature for nuclear fusion. That takes a lot of power. Last edited by Caslon : 04-26-2008 at 07:36 AM.

04-26-2008, 09:49 AM	#33 (permalink)
Caslon Lieutenant Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep inside the Earth. Posts: 4,803	Re: Air conditioning blog It's not a matter of being fine with that. The world isn't going to reduce it's need on fossil fuels anytime soon. Non fossil fuel energy isn't going anywhere anytime for at least 2 decades. The worst of two evils...add more nuclear power plants and the toxic waste that must be stored for 100 years, or...fossil fuels. Passive energy.... Wind Turbines? Solar? Still less than 1 percent of the energy needs. YA...it'd be awesome to afford an estate built on solar or wind turbines. They are mostly located out in the far country...up on a some hill. Last edited by Caslon : 04-26-2008 at 10:01 AM.

04-26-2008, 11:42 AM	#35 (permalink)
Caslon Lieutenant Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep inside the Earth. Posts: 4,803	Re: Air conditioning blog Nuclear fusion is whats to come, too far off to say. Last edited by Caslon : 04-26-2008 at 01:29 PM.