"A Bold Fresh Piece..." OF REALITY
Dear Community Members, This forum is dedicated to seeking the true meaning of efficiency. I would like to see what people think efficiency means and how they can be more efficient. Also, how devices we use can be more efficient. Here is my view Efficiency is how much energy the product consumes compared to how much is used to do work. for example, a electric resistance heater (or a baseboard heater) is almost %100 efficient. Why? because you provide the equipment with electricity, and the equipment produces heat. a small fraction is light and infrared waste. How about a car? Extremely inefficient. A car works by compressing a volatile mix of gasoline and air and then igniting this mixture forcing one of the cylinders down. however, there is a lot of heat that is wasted because the car uses the piston's downward movement to do work. But all the heat is expelled out the radiator. Very wasteful to me. However, a hybrid is even more of a wasteful disgrace. You manufacture huge batteries that have a limited lifespan and use a gasoline engine to charge them!!? what is this???!!!. Just look at how much energy is also used in production and servicing a hybrid. That's just the beginning... how about recycling? you have to heat glass and plastic to several thousand degrees to melt it, and then possibly use a small percent again? what a waste. Waste Management has their hands all over it. look at how much litter they leave when they collect trash. do they care? absolutely not. They're trying to run a business. So is the EPA. No CEO is there to help the planet. They are making money. Just like everyone else. In conclusion Do what you can to help. Don'' brag about what you do, just do it! don't try to change other people!! PROVE YOURSELF FIRST!! LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
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My suggestion in all of this would be that you take some steps to educate yourself. I would suggest that you start by looking at the whole concept of life cycle analysis which is a methodology for analyzing the very questions that you are asking. That outgrowth of full-cost accounting would tell you right away that heating with electricity may not be the way to go because the electricity used might come from coal and from some distance away so there are transmission line losses in addition to energy conversion inefficiences and pollution. That said, an electric heater powered by a micro-hydro plant might be an excellent choice. Key here is that it is a not simply a question of whether A is more efficient than B, but it also a question of context and the whole suite of associated impacts and consequences. Take a look at this mode of thinking. It might answer some of these question and perhaps lead to you to acknowledge that many of us in the field of sustainability are trying to look at these issues wholistically and help make the most intelligent, visionary choices possible.
Bob Ferris
I clearly defined my view of efficiency. However, we all know that no one could afford to heat a house with such a system. I like your idea! listen to this:
We all know that heat is transferred to steam which turns a turbine- the typical power plant setup. The variable is what is the heat. You are %100 correct that is a coal plant if powering that heater, the heater is only as efficient as the power source. Now there is loss when you go from heat to electricity back to heat. So the problem at hand is (in a %100 efficiency scenario) How do you create heat on your own?
Hint- Geothermal!
My parents have a geothermal system. quite simple. geothermal AC w/ Heat pump. They had wells drilled and pipe run down deep. The only energy needed is for the compressor, the water circulator, and the blower. kinetic energy is needed.
Where can we go from there?
Geothermal in itself is terrific, add a high efficiency building envelope and you will really enjoy your carbon footprint number. Keep up the good work.
"A hug and a choke is the same motion, it's just a matter of how much pressure your under".-Tom
I'll see, if my schedule opens up, of I can maintain a Geothermal Forum.. are you interested?