One way to replace natural gas or propane for building space heating is to use a heat pump. There are several options and a good beginning resource page can be found from the U.S. Department of Energy here.
CBR Team
CBR Team
From Roger, Town of Bayfield
Thanks for bringing this subject to a forum. I have been discussing electrification with a group from Southern Minnesota and they recently had a conference with the link here . This presentation is three examples of house conversions to electrification but covers a whole variety of issues from designing your envelope, insulation and retrofit with heat pump appliances.
Rochester and Winona MN are in a different heat zone and need AC where we generally do not, but several of the participants are engineers and they kept some good performance records. They also shared a spreadsheet and are inviting others to contribute to this format.
Some good takeaways, when you move to a heat pump, you need to do a j load calculation and really understand your BTU requirements. Once armed with this knowledge you will see the need to do weather-stripping, attic sealing and additional insulation to lower your loads and increase the capacity of the home. Heat pumps are many times more efficient than propane and even city gas, but it's a different kind of heat and delivery system. Much of the inefficient heat we have grown accustomed to is wasteful compared to electric heat. It requires some adjustments.
All of the participants in the above conference had comments about the state of HVAC 'guys'. They are set in their ways for a variety of reasons related to training and the need for profits. It has been my direct experience and observation that while we have many skilled tradesmen, we do not have up to date training on some of the above issues and especially solid-state controls. Managing controls is increasingly a bigger part of the installation then in the past when the wasteful nature of gas energy could buffer mis-matched installation and control management. I have acquired some additional information on select heat pumps, water heaters, pricing, installation and specifications if anyone is interested.
In other news there is a major electrification effort going on in Michigan hosted by Michigan Tech and a broad base of supporters. The series has been going on for some time and recordings of some events are available. I found the session in February discussing replacement of propane to 75000 customers in the UP due to the potential closing of Line 5 very interesting. This series presents a model of good communication among stakeholders to find solutions and create economic vitality.
Roger
Thanks for bringing this subject to a forum. I have been discussing electrification with a group from Southern Minnesota and they recently had a conference with the link here . This presentation is three examples of house conversions to electrification but covers a whole variety of issues from designing your envelope, insulation and retrofit with heat pump appliances.
Rochester and Winona MN are in a different heat zone and need AC where we generally do not, but several of the participants are engineers and they kept some good performance records. They also shared a spreadsheet and are inviting others to contribute to this format.
Some good takeaways, when you move to a heat pump, you need to do a j load calculation and really understand your BTU requirements. Once armed with this knowledge you will see the need to do weather-stripping, attic sealing and additional insulation to lower your loads and increase the capacity of the home. Heat pumps are many times more efficient than propane and even city gas, but it's a different kind of heat and delivery system. Much of the inefficient heat we have grown accustomed to is wasteful compared to electric heat. It requires some adjustments.
All of the participants in the above conference had comments about the state of HVAC 'guys'. They are set in their ways for a variety of reasons related to training and the need for profits. It has been my direct experience and observation that while we have many skilled tradesmen, we do not have up to date training on some of the above issues and especially solid-state controls. Managing controls is increasingly a bigger part of the installation then in the past when the wasteful nature of gas energy could buffer mis-matched installation and control management. I have acquired some additional information on select heat pumps, water heaters, pricing, installation and specifications if anyone is interested.
In other news there is a major electrification effort going on in Michigan hosted by Michigan Tech and a broad base of supporters. The series has been going on for some time and recordings of some events are available. I found the session in February discussing replacement of propane to 75000 customers in the UP due to the potential closing of Line 5 very interesting. This series presents a model of good communication among stakeholders to find solutions and create economic vitality.
Roger