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Re: geothermal heating/radiant flooring/domestic hot water [ Read Responses | Post a New Response | Return to the Index ]
Posted by Robert Gammon on Saturday, 3 May 2008, at 8:38 a.m., Chilled water coils, yes are used widely in commercial and public buildings worldwide. Chiller towers that 'rain' water over the coils outside chill the water via evaporation. However, in climates that are Hot-Humid, like Houston Tx, evaporative chillers fell out of favor as woefully inefficient over 25 years ago. Yes, there are systems that use heat pumps to heat/cool the water in addition to the evaporative systems that I mention above. And in spite of what Bob said, if the Bangkok Thailand commercial airport can use a chilled floor and modest dehumidification, why can't we? Yes, we have the SAME problem that SlimJim in cold water has, that is, all the cold air hugs the floor. The forced air dehumidifier stirs the air to force the cold air at floor level to mix with the warmer air above. Its the same process that occurs in houses with forced air heating. Warm air comes in from on high (in houses that also need lots of AC) to mix with the warm air on high and move warmer air towards the floor. Responses
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This site is all about building a cool, energy efficient house, that makes maximum use of earth sheltered design, passive solar heating and cooling, geothermal exchange energy management, and right sizing of the house for it's designated use. The home's placement is on a south-facing hillside in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. This site describes the design process, the technologies used and the expected results. We also have a comprehensive Links Page for anyone who is also interested in designing a similar project. |