furnace [RE-wrenches]

[Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar]

Hi Kurt,

Check out http://www.aceee.org/consumerguide/topfurn.htm

You will find a radical difference in seasonal kWh consumption for furnaces
with the same efficiency rating.  I did some research on this a few months
back and it appears the main factor in seasonal kWh consumption is from
using 2 speed or variable speed blower motors.  My research was for my own
grid connected home.

Watch out about trying to run new furnaces with inverters (even SW's).  I
know of several examples where the unit won't work.  A variable speed blower
motor might have some real problems as well.  

Travis Creswell
Ozark Energy Services


  

>From: sunwise at cheqnet.net
>To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>Subject: furnace [RE-wrenches]
>Date: Wed, Apr 17, 2002, 1:10 PM
>

>Greetings all,
>
>I just got an off-grid job that is a new, manufacturered home.  It was
>delivered to the site completely wired and with most of the
>(inefficient) appliances and systems installed.  The home is all set up
>for a forced air furnace (ducts installed) although the furnace has not
>been purchased yet.  
>
>I usually avoid such situations and have only done one off-grid house
>with a forced air furnace.  
>
>I appreciate any recommendations on (somewhat) efficient furnaces with a
>(fairly) small phantom load.  It's a 2,000sf (main level) home with full
>basement and an SW will be the inverter.
>
>But the way, the other off-grid home with a furnace that I did was a
>little different.  It was primarily used as a summer/vacation home.  I
>installed a direct vent LP space heater in the basement and placed a
>second thermostat on the furnace that actually powers down the furnace
>(with a power relay).  They set the furnace power thermostat at 50
>degrees when gone and set the space heater above that.  If the space
>heater can't keep up, the furnace powers up.  Not sure I'd want to cycle
>power to a furnace as a more daily/normal operation, as the furnace
>won't always get through a complete cycle.  It does do away with the
>phantom load, which in the vacation home can be a problematic load that
>has its greatest demand at the low solar period of winter (and they
>aren't home to run the gen-set).
>
>Again, any thoughts greatly apreciated.
>
>Kurt Nelson
>SOLutions
>
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