Difference between revisions of "Hotwater-audit"

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(Hot Water Audit)
(Hot Water Audit)
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==Hot Water Audit==
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==Hot Water Audit Purpose==
In thinking about installing a solar hot water system at Miller Farm we wanted to get a clear idea of how much energy the farm house was already using to heat hot water, and get an idea of the overall cost.
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Before installing a solar hot water system at Miller Farm we wanted to get a clear idea of how much energy the farm house is using to heat hot water, and from that estimate the cost savings of a solor unit.
Estimating the energy cost and hot water usage for Miller Farm turned out to be an involved process.  In attempting to produce a reasonable estimate we used- multiple online hot water cost and energy usage resources, and online manufacturers provided equipment model information.  We combined these with experimental data and our best guesses.
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Developing a model of the energy cost and hot water usage for Miller Farm turned out to be an involved process.  In attempting to produce a reasonable estimate we used- multiple online hot water cost and energy usage resources, and we collected equipment model information from manufacturers' websites.  We combined these with experimental data and our best guesses to form a working model of Miller Farms hot water usage.
  
 
We began with a list of hot water considerations:
 
We began with a list of hot water considerations:
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*What is the monthly cost of heating water at Miller Farm?
 
*What is the monthly cost of heating water at Miller Farm?
  
Our Work and Findings:
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==Our Work and Findings==
 
*[[hotwater-appliace-usage|The Farm: Appliances and Usage]]
 
*[[hotwater-appliace-usage|The Farm: Appliances and Usage]]
 
*[[hotwater-research|Research and Resources]]
 
*[[hotwater-research|Research and Resources]]
 
*[[hotwater-labs|Labs]]
 
*[[hotwater-labs|Labs]]

Revision as of 16:06, 9 January 2007

Hot Water Audit Purpose

Before installing a solar hot water system at Miller Farm we wanted to get a clear idea of how much energy the farm house is using to heat hot water, and from that estimate the cost savings of a solor unit. Developing a model of the energy cost and hot water usage for Miller Farm turned out to be an involved process. In attempting to produce a reasonable estimate we used- multiple online hot water cost and energy usage resources, and we collected equipment model information from manufacturers' websites. We combined these with experimental data and our best guesses to form a working model of Miller Farms hot water usage.

We began with a list of hot water considerations:

  • What fixtures use hot water at Miller Farm?
  • How often are these fixtures used?
  • What is the averge hot water consumption for each use?
  • Can the current water heater accomidate the peak use (i.e. is all hot water used fully heated)?
  • How much energy is needed to provide the averge daily hot water used?
  • What is the monthly cost of heating water at Miller Farm?

Our Work and Findings