Heating your workspace

[giantkiller]

Manifolds I made for driveway.  3 zones.

[giantkiller]

Some of the insulation and pex

[giantkiller]

Manifolds and pumps for heated floors that I made and installed. Six pumps for six sones infloor heat. 3 for 3 shop zones 3 for 3 zones living space upstairs. The 3 pumps lower are for  chilled water fan coils. For cooling. 2 upstairs 1 down. But as long as I keep the 3 r18 insulated overhead doors closed have never needed the one in the shop.

[giantkiller]

Picture didn't seem to post for last one

[giantkiller]

Cool picture of them pouring concrete on the third morning. Took 11 truck loads.
I laid down all the styrofoam. Then rebar mesh (because the staples were on backorder) and ziptied (almost 2000 zipties) 8000FT of pex in place in 2 days. Because that's all the time I had. Between them laying the gravel and putting in the forms. And when they were starting the pour.

[FJ1200W]

Seems to me the real issue here is that 71' Triple is interrupting the circulation of the heat flow. 2-strokes will do that....   If you'd like, I can swing by and toss that smokey old H1 in my truck and get it outta there for ya?  After that I bet its toasty...  Also, counts as "downsizing". 

I'm always open to offers, that old H1 was a basket case. No title, lost decades ago.

The gentleman I bought it from stored it for decades. It looks like someone wrecked it on the right side, and that was the end of it. Oddly enough, I actually have an extra case for the engine. It's cleaning up nicely, the market is pretty soft, I'd let it go.

[fj1289]

Our house has a smaller furnace in the garage.  I just removed a plate meant for cleaning out the ducts.  As long as you keep the garage door closed it stays a reasonable temperature.  Cheap, easy, fast and effective!

[FJ1200W]

very cool stuff -

wait, warm!

[MarioR]

Cool picture of them pouring concrete on the third morning. Took 11 truck loads.
I laid down all the styrofoam. Then rebar mesh (because the staples were on backorder) and ziptied (almost 2000 zipties) 8000FT of pex in place in 2 days. Because that's all the time I had. Between them laying the gravel and putting in the forms. And when they were starting the pour.

2 days to do all work still very impressive. A lot of manual work....

[giantkiller]

Cool picture of them pouring concrete on the third morning. Took 11 truck loads.
I laid down all the styrofoam. Then rebar mesh (because the staples were on backorder) and ziptied (almost 2000 zipties) 8000FT of pex in place in 2 days. Because that's all the time I had. Between them laying the gravel and putting in the forms. And when they were starting the pour.

2 days to do all work still very impressive. A lot of manual work....

Yah just about killed me. Was cold kept the pex in the garage on my heated floor. Took it outside and had to lay it out and ziptie it down real quickly. Or it was a bear when it got cold.

[giantkiller]

Finally got all of the panels on the lean-to. For the heated driveway. 24 390watt panels 6 per string DC direct to the 4 heating elements on the 2  50 gallon electric water heaters to heat the driveway. Just got the 4 solar powered pumps for the system. Sun shines pumps start up feeding the hot water from the water heaters. Will run anytime the sun is shining so will preheat the concrete

[giantkiller]

I started installing the panels on the lower roof. 24 390watt panels to add to the ones on the upper roof. Along with 85.8kwh of batteries. Hopefully be able to run entire house without any compromising. Then go completely off grid after running grid tied for a couple of years to try it out.

[Pat Conlon]

Excellent Dan!

On your grid tied utility rates, how much $ do you get back for your excess feed in electricity?

[giantkiller]

Excellent Dan!

On your grid tied utility rates, how much $ do you get back for your excess feed in electricity?

I don't remember it's way less than 1 to 1. I used to produce more than I used so I had zero bills with 10,080 watts of panels. They don't pay out excess. But put it towards your night time usage. They will payout excess when you get off the grid. They have been trying to eliminate net metering for years. There is a renewable energy group that fights them every year. In Wisconsin. And has so far kept them from eliminating it. BUT..
I've always paid a line maintenance fee. Originally $15 a month.  But they continually add "fees" on. I didn't know it but it eventually eliminated my credit. And then stacked up. I never knew.  Until this spring. 
My power was off when I came home from work. I thought wow there's been no bad weather?
Called and automation told me I was disconnected due to delinquent bill of $1600. They let it build up for quite a long time. I never once received a bill. They left it for probably a couple of years. And they can't turn it off until spring. Then boom. I way overpaid my bill. So I have a credit from that. It's only taking that credit down less than $50 a month. So that's how long they let it build up.
So I'm adding 24 more panels and 85.8kw of battery backup. To make it so I don't have to worry about not running some appliances when others are running. Going to run it a couple of years grid tied backup. To make sure. Possibly add wind or some other supplemental source if needed.
And then give the finger to the power company. And cut the cord.
Then they can no longer make money on my over production. By buying it from me for pennies and selling it to my neighbors for dollars.
Then you have all of those people who say solar generation from residential solar. Actually costs the utilities money. Because it's only produced during the day when they don't need it.... Then answer me this! Why are all of them making all of the massive solar farms.
 Sorry. I'm done ranting.

My solar journey is not about going green and not about how much it costs to install. Now. While I'm working. So I can afford it.
But not having to worry about any bills. So I may be able to retire.

[Pat Conlon]

Dan, We are also finding that out here in Arizona. We call it front loading. You can reduce your electrical consumption to zero yet still get a $60 a month bill. We have investor owned utilities (different from public utilities) and these 'for profit' corporations must return at least a 6% dividend to their stockholders. Anything below that the stockholders will dump the stock and the death spiral begins. Fearing that, the Arizona Corporation Commission which is an elected board made up of pro business Republicans, who gives free rein to these 'too big too fail' utilities for yearly rate increases. Obviously, if they could, they would outlaw residential PV solar systems.....instead they front load all the electrical bills with "claimed" overhead grid maintenance costs.
The only way around these bogus charges is to go off grid.
Good news here in Arizona, we have plenty of sunshine and in my region I don't have the high a/c cooling load like down in Phoenix, nor the high winter heating load they have in Flagstaff. I'm in the Goldilocks zone, not too hot, not too cold. My new home is extremely energy efficient (R30 walls; R60 ceilings, U.09 glazing; 22 SEER mini splits, hydronic radiant heat floor, etc) and my monthly APS bill is only $80-100 per month ($60 being bullshit overhead admin.fees) Still, when I get that bill it pisses me off.
I calculate I would need a 12kw PV system with a 25kWh battery to get me through the cloudy days and a 4kw propane generator backup....all in all about $32k investment.
Alas....Pay off would be too long for me as I'm 72....so I just bite my tongue and pay my front loaded APS bill.
Remembering to look at the big picture. This is a luxury problem for sure...don't be distracted by life's bullshit minutia... I'm very grateful for where I live and all my blessings.