<div>We've calculated emissions comparing with conventional systems, and the geothermal has come out ahead in cases where it simply uses less energy than alternatives.</div><div><br></div>Heat pumps can be run with a solar array. We installed one like this on a DSA project, but were aided by the fact it was connected to the grid and so didn't need batteries.<div>
<br></div><div>John</div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote">
2009/3/18 Tom Woolley <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:tom.woolley@btconnect.com" target="_blank">tom.woolley@btconnect.com</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><font face="Gill Sans" size="5"><span style="font-size:18px">Dear Catherine</span></font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<font face="Gill Sans" size="5"><span style="font-size:18px"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><font face="Gill Sans" size="5"><span style="font-size:18px">Ireland is the geothermal capital of Europe. It has become a middle class status symbol .</span></font></div>
<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><font face="Gill Sans" size="5"><span style="font-size:18px"> </span></font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<font face="Gill Sans" size="5"><span style="font-size:18px">Richard Douthwaite , a highly respected green economist wrote (extract from a much longer piece)</span></font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<font face="Gill Sans" size="5"><span style="font-size:18px"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><font face="Gill Sans"><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18px">"I began to ask myself that question when I came across a document on the website of a small German electricity company which concluded: “A ground-source heat pump can only be considered acceptable as an alternative to conventional heating systems from an environmental point of view if it has a coefficient of performance of over 4, gets its electricity from a CO2 free source and uses a climate-friendly refrigerant. As most current heat pumps do not meet these criteria, we advise against their use.” ‘</span></font></font></div>
<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><font face="Gill Sans"><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18px">Richard Douthwaite , Construct Ireland Issue 19</span></font></font></div>
<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18px"><a href="http://www.constructireland.ie" target="_blank">http://www.constructireland.ie</a>/</span></font><font face="Gill Sans" size="5"><span style="font-size:18px"></span></font></div>
<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><font size="4"><span style="font-size:14px"><a href="mailto:richard@douthwaite.net" target="_blank">richard@douthwaite.net</a></span></font><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18px"></span></font></div>
<div><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18px"><br></span></font></div><div><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18px">best wishes</span></font></div><div><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18px"><br></span></font></div>
<div><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18px">Tom Woolley</span></font></div><div><div></div><div><div><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18px"><br></span></font></div><div><br></div><br><div><div>On 18 Mar 2009, at 17:16, BuildersWithoutBorders wrote:</div>
<br><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">Dear colleagues -</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px">
<br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">Can someone shed some light on so-called geothermal heating systems, and their cost-effectiveness for a typical home?</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px">
<br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">I imagine the pay-back in energy saved has something to do with how many heating degree days in a specific climate.<span> </span>But then, I understand they can also be reversed for cooling.</div>
<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px"><br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">This seems like an expensive technology that is dependent on electrical service... can it be powered by solar/</div>
<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px"><br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">Thanks for any insight offered.</div>
<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px"><br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;min-height:14px"><br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
Sincerely,</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">Catherine Wanek</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">Co-director</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
Builders Without Borders</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><<a href="mailto:mail@builderswithoutborders.org" target="_blank">mail@builderswithoutborders.org</a>></div>
<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><a href="http://www.builderswithoutborders.org" target="_blank">www.builderswithoutborders.org</a></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
575-895-5400<span> </span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">_______________________________________________</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
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<a href="http://greenbuilder.com/mailman/listinfo/GSBN" target="_blank">http://greenbuilder.com/mailman/listinfo/GSBN</a></div> </blockquote></div><br></div></div><div> <span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px 0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px 0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><div>
Tom Woolley</div><div><br></div><div>Rachel Bevan Architects</div><div>17A Main Street</div><div>Saintfield</div><div>Ballynahinch</div><div>BT24 7AA</div><div><br></div><div><a href="mailto:tom.woolley@btconnect.com" target="_blank">tom.woolley@btconnect.com</a></div>
<div>028 44 830988</div><br></span></span> </div><br></div><br>_______________________________________________<br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>John Swearingen<br><br>Skillful Means<br><a href="http://www.skillful-means.com" target="_blank">www.skillful-means.com</a><br>
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