Comments on: Motivating Myself with Scarcity and Bribery http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/ Learning to live green and live together Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:14:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Will http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-295 Will Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:01:43 +0000 http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-295 Sure. A geothermal heat pump works with the AC as well (it cools the outside air down toward the 58 degree temperatures underground). I don't think we're running a heat pump (and we're definitely not running a geothermal heat pump) at our current place, but I'll look into it. Sure. A geothermal heat pump works with the AC as well (it cools the outside air down toward the 58 degree temperatures underground).

I don’t think we’re running a heat pump (and we’re definitely not running a geothermal heat pump) at our current place, but I’ll look into it.

]]> By: Dana http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-289 Dana Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:46:35 +0000 http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-289 Will: That's very interesting. I suspect, though, that we'll look into replacing the roof, getting the foundation fixed, and making sure the house is properly waterproofed/sealed before we look at replacing the existing heating system, esp. since it is the same as the A/C, so we would effectively have to replace them both. I'll look into whether it's a possible solution in NC, though. And if it's likely that your house will have a heat pump there in IN, you should make sure you're not still running into the problem with the electric back-up strips wasting too much electricity, because it doesn't necessarily sound like having a geothermal system changes that aspect of the way heat pumps work. Will: That’s very interesting. I suspect, though, that we’ll look into replacing the roof, getting the foundation fixed, and making sure the house is properly waterproofed/sealed before we look at replacing the existing heating system, esp. since it is the same as the A/C, so we would effectively have to replace them both. I’ll look into whether it’s a possible solution in NC, though. And if it’s likely that your house will have a heat pump there in IN, you should make sure you’re not still running into the problem with the electric back-up strips wasting too much electricity, because it doesn’t necessarily sound like having a geothermal system changes that aspect of the way heat pumps work.

]]> By: Will http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-286 Will Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:06:04 +0000 http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-286 Heat pumps are very popular in IN, especially geothermal heat pumps. There are several incentives for geothermal heat pumps, so they make a lot of financial sense around here (more than windmills and solar, especially). A geothermal heat pump is either an electric heat pump or a gas heat pump that has a long length of pipe 3-6 feet below ground and 400-600 feet long or 150-450 feet down and a couple feet wide (depending on how deep you can dig). Around here, there's often limestone right below the surface, so it's only cost-effective to go horizontal. Basically, the geothermal heat pump works the same way as an electric/gas heat pump except that it pre-heats the air with water that's been heated to 58 degrees just by being insulated by the ground. You can do something similar with water heaters, so you're heating water that starts at 58 degrees instead of whatever temperature it is when it's pumped into the house. Anyway, long story short, you and Mark should look into a geothermal heat pump too. Heat pumps are very popular in IN, especially geothermal heat pumps. There are several incentives for geothermal heat pumps, so they make a lot of financial sense around here (more than windmills and solar, especially).

A geothermal heat pump is either an electric heat pump or a gas heat pump that has a long length of pipe 3-6 feet below ground and 400-600 feet long or 150-450 feet down and a couple feet wide (depending on how deep you can dig). Around here, there’s often limestone right below the surface, so it’s only cost-effective to go horizontal.

Basically, the geothermal heat pump works the same way as an electric/gas heat pump except that it pre-heats the air with water that’s been heated to 58 degrees just by being insulated by the ground.

You can do something similar with water heaters, so you’re heating water that starts at 58 degrees instead of whatever temperature it is when it’s pumped into the house.

Anyway, long story short, you and Mark should look into a geothermal heat pump too.

]]> By: Dana http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-285 Dana Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:00:46 +0000 http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-285 The thing about not turning down the heat during the night or when you are out is only relevant to heat pumps. According to our inspector, these are far more common in the south, so they may not even exist in IN. From <a href="http://certified-inspector.com/abc006.htm#heating" rel="nofollow">this website</a>, an explanation (scroll down): "MYTH: If you turn down your thermostat at night or when you are gone, you will use more energy to warm up the house again than what you saved. FACT: You always save by turning down your thermostat no matter how long you will be gone. <b>The one exception is an electric heat pump.</b> When you turn it up in the morning, the electric back-up elements kick on to bring the house up to temperature faster." It's the electric back-up elements that burn through electricity like nobody's business. For houses with a regular furnace, it's always fine. That particular website also notes: "You can purchase a special setback thermostat that compensates for this and will provide savings." Unfortunately, they don't provide any information on what kind of special thermostat is needed, so that's something Mark and I will have to check on. The thing about not turning down the heat during the night or when you are out is only relevant to heat pumps. According to our inspector, these are far more common in the south, so they may not even exist in IN. From this website, an explanation (scroll down):

“MYTH: If you turn down your thermostat at night or when you are gone, you will use more energy to warm up the house again than what you saved.
FACT: You always save by turning down your thermostat no matter how long you will be gone. The one exception is an electric heat pump. When you turn it up in the morning, the electric back-up elements kick on to bring the house up to temperature faster.”

It’s the electric back-up elements that burn through electricity like nobody’s business. For houses with a regular furnace, it’s always fine. That particular website also notes: “You can purchase a special setback thermostat that compensates for this and will provide savings.” Unfortunately, they don’t provide any information on what kind of special thermostat is needed, so that’s something Mark and I will have to check on.

]]> By: Maggie http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-269 Maggie Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:23:02 +0000 http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-269 Bloomington has pretty easy parking, which I'm mostly thankful for but it does take a way a motivator! I'm getting better about parking my car downtown and then walking around to do multiple errands, though. Greening the graphic design industry would be a huge project. I've heard of similar movements in the computer industry. So much to change! Dana, let me know if you track down that personal water meter. I'd also love to hear details about when it makes sense to turn your heat down at night. That seems like one of those things that should be a no-brainer but I am just not sure what the right answer is. Bloomington has pretty easy parking, which I’m mostly thankful for but it does take a way a motivator! I’m getting better about parking my car downtown and then walking around to do multiple errands, though.

Greening the graphic design industry would be a huge project. I’ve heard of similar movements in the computer industry. So much to change!

Dana, let me know if you track down that personal water meter. I’d also love to hear details about when it makes sense to turn your heat down at night. That seems like one of those things that should be a no-brainer but I am just not sure what the right answer is.

]]> By: Dana http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-265 Dana Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:10:08 +0000 http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-265 Mark and I had the house we're hoping to buy inspected earlier this week. I was so excited to discover that it's only 4 miles from my office, instead of 21! (I'd never done the drive between them before.) Of course, given that the job I had before that was 1 mile from my apartment, and I could walk there on a regular basis, this still seems like a comedown. In any case, I still felt very guilty about all the driving I've been doing since I got the new job, and it'll be a relief to move. However, another thing we learned during the inspection was that turning the thermostat down during the day/night to conserve energy only works for certain kinds of heating units. Our house will have an electric heat pump/AC unit, and the inspector told us that if we vary the thermostat by more than a few degrees during the day, only to switch it back later, it will waste far more electricity trying to re-regulate the temperature to the new setting than we would have saved by turning it down. (Sadly, there is no gas line even running into the house.) I thought I had recently heard about some kind of personal water meter people could use in the house to monitor their own water usage, but I'm not finding anything obvious by googling yet, beyond a concept design. Mark and I had the house we’re hoping to buy inspected earlier this week. I was so excited to discover that it’s only 4 miles from my office, instead of 21! (I’d never done the drive between them before.) Of course, given that the job I had before that was 1 mile from my apartment, and I could walk there on a regular basis, this still seems like a comedown. In any case, I still felt very guilty about all the driving I’ve been doing since I got the new job, and it’ll be a relief to move.

However, another thing we learned during the inspection was that turning the thermostat down during the day/night to conserve energy only works for certain kinds of heating units. Our house will have an electric heat pump/AC unit, and the inspector told us that if we vary the thermostat by more than a few degrees during the day, only to switch it back later, it will waste far more electricity trying to re-regulate the temperature to the new setting than we would have saved by turning it down. (Sadly, there is no gas line even running into the house.)

I thought I had recently heard about some kind of personal water meter people could use in the house to monitor their own water usage, but I’m not finding anything obvious by googling yet, beyond a concept design.

]]> By: Linnea http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-262 Linnea Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:02:31 +0000 http://greencouple.com/2008/04/03/motivating-myself-with-scarcity-and-bribery/#comment-262 I've had my car for about two weeks now, and I've driven maybe four times? Granted, here in Seattle we have another incentive: parking. I only have to move my car every three days (or less often, if they don't chalk my tires), so when I found a fantastic parking spot about a block from my apartment... I stopped driving :-) Unless I really need to, of course. And that's what it's really all about. Chad went to a green design forum yesterday, and I wish I could find the website for you... Basically, a bunch of graphic (and probably other media) designers got together and talked about what they could do to make their industry more sustainable. It's funny to think about green graphic design, since there's so much paper waste and nasty adhesive and spray paint and having four computers running at once. But apparently graphic designers up in these parts are really making an effort to mitigate that. I'll pass along the website as soon as I find it... I’ve had my car for about two weeks now, and I’ve driven maybe four times? Granted, here in Seattle we have another incentive: parking. I only have to move my car every three days (or less often, if they don’t chalk my tires), so when I found a fantastic parking spot about a block from my apartment… I stopped driving :-) Unless I really need to, of course. And that’s what it’s really all about.

Chad went to a green design forum yesterday, and I wish I could find the website for you… Basically, a bunch of graphic (and probably other media) designers got together and talked about what they could do to make their industry more sustainable. It’s funny to think about green graphic design, since there’s so much paper waste and nasty adhesive and spray paint and having four computers running at once. But apparently graphic designers up in these parts are really making an effort to mitigate that. I’ll pass along the website as soon as I find it…

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