John Droz, Jr: Energy & Environmental Newsletter: August 10, 2020
A few articles from the latest newsletter:
Simply Staggering: What Wind & Solar Really Cost
Energy Subsidies and Who Gets Them
Report: The Hidden Costs of Net Zero
EIA Cost Benefit Analysis: News and Information
Rush to Renewable Energy is Hurting America’s Poor
A carbon tax would harm the poor
The President Is Right on the Social Cost of Carbon
Subsidized Wind & Solar Are Sending South Africa’s Power Prices Into Orbit
Noise from wind turbines draws complaints
Short video: Wind Subsidies Are Killing Eagles
Report: Wind and Solar are Not Competitive with Fossil Fuels
Wind Power Intermittency – It’s Worse Than You Think
Wind Lobbyists Keep Spinning Out Tales of Future Viability
China’s Geostrategic Priorities Become Clear: Oil not Wind
Amish First Amendment Rights at Stake with Huge NY Wind Project
Offshore Wind Costs and Auction Price Bids: A Comment
Offshore wind is a boondoggle that NY can no longer afford
Report: Offshore Wind is Definitely Expensive
The World’s Largest Nuclear Fusion Reactor Is Finally Being Built
Nuclear Bailouts Are Uniting All in Disgust Over Corruption
Gas utility pushes back in court on California energy policy document
Natural Gas and It’s Dual Forms: CNG Versus LNG
New talking points on the Joe Biden energy plan
New Film, ‘Juice,’ Challenges Elitism Of Anti-Growth Environmentalism
I was Asked to Testify on Energy Policy- then Democrats Didn’t Let Me Speak
These and other articles can be found in the following PDF. After downloading, scroll down to Page 59.
Views: 82
Comment
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Comment by Willem Post on August 22, 2020 at 5:17pm
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This comment shows Heat Pumps are financial LOSERS for just about every homeowner in Vermont and Maine, plus they cost more per system than claimed on various RE websites, and reduce CO2 much less than claimed by RE proponents.
In Vermont and Maine, the only thing that makes any sense is to stop "emulating" California, immediately scrap GWSA, and concentrate on:
1) Energy conservation
2) Energy efficiency
3) Building net-zero-energy houses and other buildings by the thousands each year
4) Using high-mpg vehicles
The above 4 items would save money for Vermonters, and make the state economy more competitive
All of the rest is just expensively subsidized hogwash that would not make one iota of difference regarding climate change.
AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS IN MY HOUSE
Exaggerated Claims for Heat Pump Savings
VPIRG, EV, etc., were stating energy cost savings on their websites of $1000/y to $1800/y.
Those numbers were deleted after the CADMUS report was published in 2017.
Those sites did not specifically state, those savings might be attainable, only if 100% of fossil fuel used for space heating were replaced with electricity for 100% space heating with heat pumps.
CADMUS Survey Report
According to the 2017 CADMUS survey of 78 heat pumps at 65 sites, i.e., only 13 of 65 sites (20%) had more than one heat pump:
- Owners of average Vermont houses typically have one heat pump with one head
- Fuel energy displaced was about 27.6%
- CO2 reduction was about 21%; including CO2 of upstream energy
- Owners had average energy cost savings of about $200/y
- Owners would have an average financial loss of about $200/y, if amortizing were included; not counting any maintenance contracts, service calls and parts. See URL and tables 5 and 6
https://publicservice.vermont.gov/sites/dps/files/documents/Energy_...
NOTE: Average turnkey costs of contractor quotes is about $6,100 in South Burlington, Winooski and Colchester, Vermont.
That average includes about 80% of contracts with one heat pump, and 20% with more than one heat pump.
Systems with three heat pumps are a rarity. See Cadmus Survey Report.
That cost is much greater than mentioned on VT-DPS, VPIRG, GMP and EV websites. See URL
https://www.manta.com/cost-heat-pump-burlington-vt
Heat Pump in Average Vermont House
An owner, in an average 2,000 ft2 Vermont house, would need to spend at least $20,000 for a turnkey heat pump system, with a rated capacity of 60,000 Btu/h at 47F., say two MXZ-3C30NAHZ2 units, at 30,000 Btu/h, each with two heads
That system would have an output of about 0.75 x 60,000 = 45,000 Btu/h at -10F, at maximum compressor speed and maximum fan speed; i.e., not so quiet, to heat that house.
http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/sites/default/files/manual/m-serie...
The COP, at 5F or less, would be about 1.1 (adjusted downward for defrost cycling), i.e., similar to electric heating.
That owner likely would have no energy cost savings, would have an almost $1,800/y amortizing cost, and likely would have service calls and parts replacements during the 15-year life of the systems.
http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/vermont-co2-reduction-o...
My House
I designed my house in 1986
It is well-sealed and well-insulated.
The basement is wrapped in 2” of blue board, including under the basement floor slab.
It has a Viessmann condensing furnace, wall-hung, 85 to 95% efficient.
Propane for space heating and domestic hot water is about 1200 gallon/y
Heat Pump System
The system includes 3 Mitsubishi Hyperheat H2i heat pumps, each with 2 heads
They are high-performance units from a reputable manufacturer.
The indoor heads and outdoor units are very quiet.
Model: MXZ-3C24NAHZ2
http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/sites/default/files/manual/m-serie...
https://www.theacoutlet.com/documents/Owners-Manual-Mitsubishi-MXZ2...
Cooling and Heating Capacity per Heat Pump
Cooling:
Rated capacity 22,000/23,600 Btu/h
Heating:
Rated capacity 25,000/24,600 Btu/h, at 47F
Rated capacity 14,000/14,000 Btu/h, at 17F; medium compressor speed, medium fan speed
Maximum capacity 25,000/24,600 Btu/h, at 17F; high compressor speed, high fan speed
Maximum capacity at 25,000 Btu/y, at 5F; maximum compressor speed, maximum fan speed
The capacity decreases at less than 5F
Heat Distribution
Kitchen: 1 head @ 15,000 Btu/h,
Upstairs master bedroom: 1 head @ 9,000 Btu/h
Living/dining room: 2 heads @ 18,000 Btu/h;Upstairs bedrooms: 1 head each @ 6,000 Btu/h
Turnkey Capital Cost
The quote for the turnkey system was $24,300, or $8,100 per 2-head heat pump.
GMP and EV provided total subsidies of about $3,000; net capital cost $21,300
It was a total sticker shock!
The prices were much higher than on the VT-DPS, VPIRG, GMP and EV websites
Annual Energy Cost Savings
The heat pumps use an additional 8,000 kWh/y, at a cost of about $1,600/y
GMP loves me for buying all that electricity, some of it expensively generated at 21 c/kWh, with solar panels in Vermont.Displaced propane is about 800 gal/y, costing about $1,600/y (at present), i.e., no energy cost savings.
The other 400 gal/y is used by the furnace to provide heat for:1) Domestic hot water, about 150 gal
2) Space heating during the colder days of the year, say -10 to 10 F, about 250 gal:- Heat pump output would be about 3 x 14,000 = 42,000 Btu/h, at 17F, which would still be adequate to heat my house.
- The COP would be decreasing, when the temperature decreases
- The COP would be about 1.1 or 1.2 (adjusted downward for defrost cycling), at 10F to 15F.
- That would be similar to heating my house with electric heat!!
- I turn off the heat pumps at about 10 to 15F, and use my traditional propane system.
CO2 Reduction Much Less Than 4.111 Mt/y Claimed by EAN
CO2 from propane = 800 gal x 12.69 lb CO2eq/gal, combustion = 10,152 lb CO2/y; upstream not included
CO2 of electricity, NE grid = 8000 kWh x 276 g CO2/kWh x 1/454 g/lb = 4,863 lb CO2/y; upstream not included
CO2 reduction due to heat pumps = 5,289 lb/y, or 2.400 Mt/y. See table A
http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/response-to-energy-acti...
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-03/documents/emissi...
Heat Pumps Financial Losers for Almost all Vermonters
Heat pumps are expected to have a useful service life of about 15 years
Amortizing $24,300 at 3.5% for 15 year would require payments of $2,058.86/yThat is equal to about 75% of my current annual propane cost!
Heat pumps, even in my energy-efficient house, make no financial sense, if amortizing is included.
However, my wife, 77, has heart issues; she can’t take the heat.
Now, I have two heating systems, each being amortized, and each with an annual service contract, and no energy cost savings.
BTW, I also have two propane stoves in the basement. They require no electricity and prevent the house from freezing, in case of a power failure.
NOTE: VPIRG, EV, GMP, VT-DPS, VT-PUC, EAN, VELCO, VEIC, and especially Legislators and Vermonters, should note these numbers, because tens of thousands of Vermont households will be mandated to do the same, per beyond-rational GWSA.
Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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