The Geoengineering Debate

While you fine folks go about helping to boost sustainability one building at a time, there are people out there with grandiose ideas to tackle global warming on a planetary scale. As this article details, huge obstacles need to be ovecome before any of the geoengineering schemes come about.

Since we're thinking big, please take a few seconds to respond to the global warming survey in the panel below. We'll report results in subsequent editions. -- by Jim Olsztynski 

In this edition of Radiant & Hydronics e-News:

• What do you think about global warming?
• New solar incentives proposed
• A bunch of green education initiatives 
• Siegenthaler's Glitch & Fix

Ambitious Solar Home Legislation Introduced
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), chairman of the Senate's green jobs subcommittee, introduced legislation with nine co-sponsors to encourage the installation of 10 million solar systems on the rooftops of homes and businesses over the next decade. The "10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Water Heating Bill of 2010" proposes to authorize rebates which, along with other incentives, would cover up to half the cost of the systems.

Massachusetts May Join Solar Property Tax Initiative
Massachusetts may join the rising number of government jurisdictions offering a popular way to finance solar photovoltaic installations: with loans repaid through tax assessments. In addition to solar PV systems, solar water-heating equipment and other energy-efficiency measures are often eligible for funding. A bill that may soon be taken up by the state legislature would allow cities and towns to loan funds to property owners for solar arrays and collect payments on property-tax bills. The municipality would hold a lien on the property.

Energy Efficiency Forum Slated For June 15-16
"Energy Efficiency: Innovative Approaches, Proven Solutions" is the 21st Annual Energy Efficiency Forum slated for June 15 -16, 2010 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the U.S. Energy Association and Johnson Controls, leading energy experts, policy-makers, business executives, and top Administration officials will gather to discuss the critical role that energy efficiency in buildings, vehicles and industry plays as the foundation for international agreements, national strategies and local actions.

Speakers Sought For Ecobuild Conference
AEC Science & Technology is now accepting speaker proposals for Ecobuild America 2010, slated for Dec. 6-10 in Washington, DC. Sponsored by the National Institute of Building Sciences, proposals are sought for conference seminars or panel discussions that feature real-world, solutions-based case studies and/or management discussions within the four conference tracks: 1. Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Information Technology; 2. Building Performance & Energy Efficiency; 3. Green Building & Sustainable Design; 4. Sustainable Sites & Infrastructure. If you are interested in speaking at Ecobuild 2010, complete the online submission form. Deadline is March 15.

ASHRAE Offers Online Green Standard Course
ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is the first code-intended commercial green building standard in the United States. A course from ASHRAE on the requirements of the standard, Understanding Standard 189.1P for High-Performance, Green Buildings, takes place March 15 and is taught by Tom Lawrence, a member of the committee that developed the standard. The course is one of 14 being offered this spring. A full list of ASHRAE seminars and registration information can be found at www.ashrae.org/onlinecourses.

GE Temp & CO Sensors Recalled
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with GE Infrastructure Sensing Inc., announced a voluntary recall of single beam carbon dioxide and temperature sensors. This recall involves GE Telaire Airestat CO2 and temperature sensors (with model numbers T8010, T8010-C, T8011, T8011-C, T5010, T5010-C, T5011 and T5011-C) and Carrier Single Beam CO2 and temperature sensors (with model numbers 33ZCT55CO2 and 33ZCT56CO2). The carbon dioxide and temperature sensors can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Lochinvar Unveils New VIP Contractor Forum
Lochinvar has added a VIP Forum to its fifth annual Lochinvar VIP Contractor Program. The online resource invites contractors to ask for installation advice from their peers, request technical information from Lochinvar personnel, share a story or experience and simply start a conversation to get to know other industry professionals. The forum can be accessed at www.knightheatingboiler.com, as well as on the VIP Connection at www.lochinvar.com/vip.

Uponor Opens Expanded Training Center
The newly remodeled, 11,000-square-foot Uponor Factory Training Center opened Feb. 16, 2010 next to the North American corporate headquarters in Apple Valley, MN. Boasting 50% more space, the revamped training center features various new improvements such as stadium seating, a second classroom, a trainee business center, sophisticated audio/visual technology, a hands-on applications lab and enhanced controls learning station. In addition, the training program also offers an expanded class curriculum. For class details, training dates and to register online, visit www.uponor-usa.com/training.

Advanced Hydronics Named Wilo Rep Of Year
Advanced Hydronics, manufacturers representatives with offices in NY and NJ and a state-of-art training center in Babylon, NY, has been named 2009 Wilo Rep of the Year.

Noritz Says All 20 Models Qualify For Energy Star
The Energy Star Appliance Rebate is a program that offers homeowners the ability to earn additional savings of $150 to $400 (dollar amount determined on the state in which they live in), by simply replacing and recycling their old tank water heater after purchasing a Noritz Energy Star-rated model. For more information, please visit www.EnergyStar.gov, as well as additional information on Noritz's website, www.noritz.com/u/1217_energy_star_appliance_rebate_program_by_state_copy.pdf.

Digital 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide Now Available

Are you at a client's home and forgot to bring a copy of the 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide? Or are you at a convention and need some quick information about using cork flooring over a radiant heating system?

Open your Internet browser, key in this address - http://tinyurl.com/rfg-digitalmag-2010 - and browse through the pages at your convenience. The Table of Contents contains links to take you directly to the article you want to read. Or you can browse through page by page as you would with the printed version.

Ads are linked to advertisers' web sites to provide more information on products or services readers are interested in.

The 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide is an indispensable tool for architects, heating contractors, mechanical contractors, floor covering retailers and installers, builders, wholesalers, radiant system specifiers and homeowners. It provides all the information for making proper choices on flooring over radiant heating systems, including an updated directory of radiant floor product manufacturers.

To purchase printed copies of the 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide for $15, contact Stephanie Weingartz at weingartzs@bnpmedia.com, phone 248-244-1275, or visit www.AECstore.com.

Thermal Solar Gets No Respect 

Wales Darby trainer Gerry Wagner laments the fact that photovoltaics have all the sex appeal while our industry's contributions to green living get short-shrifted.

Read the Complete Article

Contractors Need To Get Certified To Stop Lead Spread

Starting in April, an EPA rule goes into effect requiring every contractor working in homes, schools or child care facilities built before 1978 to be certified and follow specific work practices to avoid disturbing lead-based paint. Read more about this EPA regulation here .

                ____________________________________________

©2010, J. Siegenthaler - all rights reserved

Floor Heating Dilemma

Click here for a full-size PDF view

The Glitch

Overview: The system below uses a gas-fired cast-iron boiler to supply three zones of low-temperature floor heating. The installer selects a 1-inch-pipe-sized three-way thermostatic mixing with Cv=3.5 for the mixing device. Each zone is piped in parallel from a common header downstream of the mixing valve.

Exercise: Find at least five errors in this layout.

The Fix:

There are several problems with the original schematic. They are corrected in the schematic below:

First, the zone circuits are not equipped with check valves. Without them, reverse flow will develop in circuits that are off. The fix is to either install check valves or use circulators with integral flow checks as shown.

Another serious error is the flow capacity of the three-way thermostatic mixing valve. A valve with a Cv of 3.5 means that a 1 psi pressure drop will occur with a 3.5 gpm flow rate. If we assume a conservative 20-degree temperature drop on the manifold stations, the required design load flow rate would be 12 gpm. At this flow rate, the pressure drop through the thermostatic valve would be almost 12 psi! This is way beyond the capacity of typical 1/25 horsepower zone circulators and, thus, it simply won't occur.

Instead, flow through the zone circuits will be severely restricted and heat delivery would suffer the same fate. The fix is to use a mixing valve with a higher Cv rating. Select a valve with a Cv approximately equal to the full design load flow rate; this will limit pressure drop through the valve to about 1 psi under these conditions.

Still another problem on the original schematic is a lack of boiler inlet temperature protection. There is no provision for a mixing point to boost boiler inlet temperature. Furthermore, there is nothing to "react" to lower boiler inlet temperature; thus, the boiler is not protected against flue gas condensation. The fix is to use a motorized three-way valve with a controller that measures boiler inlet temperature and, when necessary, restricts the flow of hot water into the valve so that flue gas condensation does not occur within the boiler. The circulator in the boiler loop is necessary to create the second mixing point that boosts boiler inlet temperature.

Other errors are: 

•  Circuit purging valves installed backwards.

• Zone circulator inlet too close to header (allow minimum 12 pipe diameters of straight pipe on inlet to any circulator).

Visit www.HydronicPros.com

  HOT OFF THE PRESS 

Greening Steam: How to Bring 19th-Century Heating Systems into the 21st Century (and save lots of green!)  -  $30.00 

Author: Dan Holohan 

When it comes to saving money on heating, old steam systems are delicious low-hanging fruit. There is so much you can do to make them better, and most of what you do won't cost a fortune. - Dan Holohan There are many steam systems in service today, and they'll be around for some time to come. It's not that easy (or inexpensive) to rip out a steam system and start anew, and that's why so many of them are still around. Dan Holohan's Greening Steam: How to Bring 19th-Century Heating Systems into the 21st Century (and save lots of green!) walks you through your old steam heating system and shows you how to get the most out of it without putting a lot of money into it. It's an entertaining and informative book that will have you looking at steam heating in a whole new light. You'll be amazed at how small changes can make a big difference when it comes to efficiency and savings. Read this book and start greening your steam heating system (and your wallet) today! Follow this link to view the table of contents or to purchase this item.

Visit AECStore.com to view all of our products for the Radiant & Hydronics Pro.