251–260 of 571 posts
Maybe I have scar tissue from COVID prices but $20k to install a ductless heat pump vs. a $200 to throw a window A/C in or $700 for a portable heat pump. While I get that these heat pumps are better for the environment and much more efficient it's a last mile issue. The installers charge an arm and a leg and I'm not hurting enough to self install. I'm hoping the window heat pumps that just run off mains will be avail…
It seems that the fact that a lot of people have utility gas over there, and low price of gas due to regulation (no externalities taxed in) is the big one.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's the opposite for me, much bigger ROI on the heatpump than solar. Rural property, 10 years old, ~3,500 sq ft + basement, in Canada where summer can be above 30C (86F) and winter below -30C (-20F). Electricity costs (Canadian) 7.6 ¢/kWh off-peak and 15.8 ¢/kWh on-peak here. I spent C$40K (about US$30k) on a ground source aka 'geothermal' heat pump to replace furnace powered by propane tank. I kept propane for on-d…
I'm jealous of the learning and hobby project. Though, the returns are (edit: "not great") if the figures above INCLUDE net metering revenues. Heatpump = Negative IRR until y8 Solar = Negative IRR until y16 Heatpump + Solar = 0 NPV through y25 | 8% discount rate
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's the opposite for me, much bigger ROI on the heatpump than solar. Rural property, 10 years old, ~3,500 sq ft + basement, in Canada where summer can be above 30C (86F) and winter below -30C (-20F). Electricity costs (Canadian) 7.6 ¢/kWh off-peak and 15.8 ¢/kWh on-peak here. I spent C$40K (about US$30k) on a ground source aka 'geothermal' heat pump to replace furnace powered by propane tank. I kept propane for on-d…
I'm jealous of the learning and hobby project. Though, the returns are (edit: "not great") if the figures above INCLUDE net metering revenues. Heatpump = Negative IRR until y8 Solar = Negative IRR until y16 Heatpump + Solar = 0 NPV through y25 | 8% discount rate
You're right about the 8 year negative IRR for the heatpump, although I'm being very conservative about propane costs, it's likely much shorter. I was pretty conservative about the solar savings too, I generally go for the worst case in these estimates.
Your overall NPV calculation seems a bit off. It's ~21 years to zero NPV at 8% discount rate, spending $80 up front to save $8/year. Factoring in the 10 year interest free government solar loan makes it more like 14 years. My working:
=nper(8%, -8, 80)
20.9
=nper(8%, -8, pv(8%, 10, -4)+40)
14.3
People are reluctant to install them because they don't work as well as the good old boilers we'd be replacing. I'm not saying they can't, and I'm not saying that there are zero models out there that work. But in practice, a lot of us that have interacted with heat pumps have the specific experience that they get anemic as the temperature goes down and eventually become unable to do much of anything. I live in the mi…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm jealous of the learning and hobby project. Though, the returns are (edit: "not great") if the figures above INCLUDE net metering revenues. Heatpump = Negative IRR until y8 Solar = Negative IRR until y16 Heatpump + Solar = 0 NPV through y25 | 8% discount rate
Looks pretty good to me over 25 years. Not many safe/guaranteed investments that will reliably return 8% these days. And as utility rates will no doubt rise over time, savings in future years will be greater.
Maybe I have scar tissue from COVID prices but $20k to install a ductless heat pump vs. a $200 to throw a window A/C in or $700 for a portable heat pump. While I get that these heat pumps are better for the environment and much more efficient it's a last mile issue. The installers charge an arm and a leg and I'm not hurting enough to self install. I'm hoping the window heat pumps that just run off mains will be avail…
Its most simply summed up as what I call the tradesman's protection racket. On one side of the coin you have any moron, calling himself a repair man which can and does end in disastrous jobs which can be unsafe. This though has much lower pricing. The flip side is, basically a protection racket where suppliers only sell to you if you have a 'loicense' and the hurdles required to become said VIP are so high, giving yo…
The job is physically difficult and does not provide steady hours. It involves driving long distances each day and working in hot and cold and rainy conditions, in cramped corners, in houses with varying levels of cleanliness.
People with options tend towards other careers, resulting in lower supply of qualified people, and hence higher prices to compensate for the drastically lower quality of life at work.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm jealous of the learning and hobby project. Though, the returns are (edit: "not great") if the figures above INCLUDE net metering revenues. Heatpump = Negative IRR until y8 Solar = Negative IRR until y16 Heatpump + Solar = 0 NPV through y25 | 8% discount rate
Yes the figures are my approximate bills so include net metering revenues. You're right about the 8 year negative IRR for the heatpump, although I'm being very conservative about propane costs, it's likely much shorter. I was pretty conservative about the solar savings too, I generally go for the worst case in these estimates. Your overall NPV calculation seems a bit off. It's ~21 years to zero NPV at 8% discount rat…
Correct. It's 21y. I missed $500 from a reading error and was assuming $7.5k/y (not $8k/y).
edit: I see your mention of the grant, too. Combined, that's cutting the NPV=0 point in half from 21y to ~12y. Good job.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Define low temperatures. Mine struggles if it gets below 30, and might as well not exist below 10. They're not great at low temps.
> Mine struggles if it gets below 30, and might as well not exist below 10. They're not great at low temps. What percentage of the (US) population gets temperatures like that? That's generally mostly IECC Zone 7 (though cold snaps in Zone 6) can happen: * https://basc.pnnl.gov/images/iecc-climate-zone-map ASHRAE—an HVAC organization—has data on the coldest and hottest days for areas so that you can design things for…
I’ve had a gas furnace keep me and the water heated multiple times in a cold weather power outage.