tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4384692836709903146.post8968104582958145703..comments2024-03-27T09:55:23.143-07:00Comments on Dispatch from the Digital Health Frontier: Taking Sustainability to the Next StepJohn Halamkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04550236129132159307noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4384692836709903146.post-58609703878186007272012-08-13T18:04:26.968-07:002012-08-13T18:04:26.968-07:00John,
Have you looked into a geothermal heat pump...John,<br /><br />Have you looked into a geothermal heat pump? The heat pump technology has been around for decades, is tried and true, and can reduce your heat bill by 75%. For us, photovoltaics made no sense because our electric bill was $40.00 a month. It would take many years to make that pay for itself, especially with the cost of electricity very stable due to the new abundance of natural gas. But our oil bill could be $600 or more in the winter. The geothermal also provides central AC from the same system, and heats your water in the heating and cooling season. The federal tax credit is 30% with no upper limit. We are super happy with it, and now our electric bill (which runs the pump) is almost high enough to make photovoltaics make economic sense. Well, not really, but maybe if the price goes down...<br /><br />I can send you links if you are interested.<br /><br />Becky SAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4384692836709903146.post-37343023184555433242012-06-28T05:13:48.101-07:002012-06-28T05:13:48.101-07:00We purchased a photovoltaic system a few years bac...We purchased a photovoltaic system a few years back based, with significant State and Federal support. It generates about 60% of our needs. While I like the low electricity bill, the ROI on the project is ~12-13 years. I installed the system when electricity prices were only going up, so it appeared to make sense at the time.<br /><br />If I were to do it again, I would install a solar hot water system. They are much less expensive, qualify for incentives, and have a short payback. <br /><br />One major problem with solar panels in the north east - when there is a snow storm, the snow builds up on the panels and then literally causes an avalanche. For a few panels it's not a big deal, but if you plan on covering your roof (like we did), it's quite a dangerous scenario. With a steeper roof than ours, it might not be an issue.<br /><br />Send me a note for more information.Alex Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09556393396945706008noreply@blogger.com