By: Donal Blaise Lloyd
Reported by: Byambatuya Dagva (M2)
Summary
Chapter 1 / A different approach to Heating and cooling
The author starts the first chapter by talking about heating based on his personal experience. “In the U.S people usually used to pay about $4500 to heat 232sq m in 2008”, he says. He used to live in two-story brick house, a former school house, 743sq m and had an annual bill over $7000 in 2005 that has grown so much since then. Because of this high price he decided to move out. At his new house he installed ground source heat pump system (GSHP). Even installing GSHP in his new home was not very easy; he was sure that clearly worth it.
He emphasized few points about ground source heat pumps briefly as listed below:
– The technology has the potential to an important factor in reducing every country’s dependence on foreign oil while at the same time reducing air pollution.
– GSHP uses heat just below the frost level and the technology is quit, lasts long, needs little maintenance and doesn’t depend on outside temperature.
Chapter 2 / How I learned to get even with the oil company
At the second chapter, the author continues to talk based on his personal experience too. In order to adopt ground source heat pump system to his new house, he basically faced two problems.
First problem was that he was advised by several people not to use the technology because of its high initial investment cost. On contrary, he had feeling that something he was doing was absolutely right so that didn’t change his mind.
Second problem occurred relating to his bank and application for a construction loan. More clearly bank didn’t approve the geothermal heating system because it was assumed just being different from standard. He wrote letter to encourage them. To briefly mention what he included in the letter:
– Geothermal systems increase home value
– Home would be easier to sell because it has no yearly heating costs for oil
– Environmentally friendly
– Reduce dependence on foreign oil
Finally he succeeded; the construction started and completed. He was sure that what he had done was the best decision of him because he had no fuel bills and it was absolutely worth in the long run.
Reporter’s Own Thoughts
If we design and construct GSHP properly we can do saving both for economically and environmentally in the long run. Demerits of the technology are higher initial investment cost and not so easy construction work. Under utilization of successful adoption of ground source heat pump occurs mainly due to lack of knowledge and awareness among public.