Comments on: Best kept secret . . a must read!

By: Lornkanaga

Lornkanaga — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:21:06 +0000

While doing some reading on earth tubes, I wondered if they could be combined with a heat sink/cold sink to better access the in-ground stored btus. With two sets of earth tubes — one set on the north side of the home running underneath the cold sink, another set on the south side set on top of the heat sink — you could use the tubes on the south side in the wintertime for supplementing heating system and the tubes on the north side to supplement the cooling system.

By: jennyhicks

jennyhicks — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:23:42 +0000

There are quite a few geothermal projects happening around Cumbria now.

By: Don

Don — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:51:18 +0000

Sounds like you guys are discussing a form of geothermal heating that is already being used. Here at Ball State University, plans were just unveiled to implement the largest geothermal heating plant of this type in the country. It is replacing a coal fired heat plant, let’s hope it happens as planned.

By: Lornkanaga

Lornkanaga — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:01:16 +0000

I was thinking in terms of two sets of “radient tubing”–one connected to a cold-sink on the north side of the home running through the ceiling and the other connected to a heat-sink and running through the floor. Granted, this would work best in a one-story home, but I think it has possibilities.

A good way of storing the heat in the heat-sink would be a mixture of rock of varying sizes and water in an in-ground concrete cistern. The heat would be fed from solar panels heating a glycol solution; the water would absorb the heat, transferring it to the rocks for long-term storage.

For the cold-sink, I would think simply an in-ground plastic tank that could handle water frozen solid as well as just cold. The cold would be fed to the tank in a similar fashion as the “four-mile-island icebox” (http://fourmileisland.com/IceBox.htm).

Just a thought (g).

By: mainah

mainah — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:05:14 +0000

There’s a new public school going up down the road that my son will be going to next year. It will use heat pumps to store heat in the ground during the Summer and extract heat from the ground in the Winter.
This is mature technology and has been around since the 70’s
The only reason it has not been used more is the initial investment. There’s a hydroelectric dam about 300 meters from where the school is being built, so they do have a backup energy source. :)

By: 4un4me

4un4me — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:33:18 +0000

Yes . . . and this has made me wonder if using water to take the heat down to greater depths might be an option.
say, for instance you have a school or some other building that covers a large surface area and is only one or two stories tall. In some geographic localities, the soil beneath the building should remain sheltered from intrusive ground water to a fairly significant depth. This being the case, any heat “poured” into the ground at the center of the structure should remain absorbed in the surrounding soil and not “flushed” away by rain. In this case, if water could be used as the heat transfer medium, then the cost of getting the heat down into the ground and stored in the “bank” could be kept very very low. Then, the natural tendency for heat to rise should make it available by simply removing the insulation that holds it in check.
I am not trying to over simplify what can be very complex and expensive in many cases. I only want to suggest that there is enough potential to do at least a little good, and in many cases a lot of good . . .without always having to spend a ton of money trying to come up with a perfect answer.
Look how much has been invested in PV (research and subsidies) and how inefficient and expensive it still is.
Capturing solar heat can be so very simple and inexpensive(garden hose) . . . why not fully explore the opportunities that lie there?

By: mainah

mainah — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:57:40 +0000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_heat_capacity

Google specific heat to find good info.

Water has one of thee highest specific heat capacity.

http://www.chemicool.com/definition/heat_of_crystallization.html

If you take advantage of the heat of crystallization and heat of hydration of certain water soluble compounds, you can increase the heat capacity even more.

http://www.ktf-split.hr/glossary/en_o.php?def=heat%20of%20hydration

A good example is the heat given off by concrete as it sets. This is caused by the chemical reaction (hydration) of the cement.

If you use a chemical system that is reversible, you form a heat ‘Battery’, if you will.

By: 4un4me

4un4me — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:03:47 +0000

Afterthought:
I was driving to work today and a thought came to me . . . what about those summmer days where the temps get up to ninety and above? It seems that in some places there would be potential for using a fan to draw that heat underneath large buildings and warm the soil. No cost for collectors, just a fan to draw hot air under ground.
Come on now . . .open your mind . . . what about in cities where large underground systems of piping already exist. What if we heated all of the ground around our storm sewers where they run under or next to buildings?
We are looking for ways to reduce heating costs and energy consumption in cost effective ways . . . and any help is a step in the right direction.