Daryl wrote:T2M, in the topic preceeding this I did say that things may be different elsewhere, and you have proved this. Our "vast" distances come from having a sparsely inhabitated continent that has lots of coal and gas.
We get such good prices for exporting our gas to Asia that most of our power stations are big smelly coal burners that are built in isolated areas. In your case I agree that electricity may well be more efficient than bottled propane, although I still reckon that a free to run solar system would be better still.
Incidentally I forgot to mention one advantage here of electric storage systems. A big enough one can be set up to heat in the early hours of the morning, using cheap stand by power.
Tip of the hat I to tinfoil. Very good information.
I agree with you on solar heating. A inline system doesn't physically preclude the use of one. As a matter of fact it will be more efficient for a given value of hot water out.
warning label political stuff comes up.
The problem to my view from a
vast distance
is known as NIMBY (not in my backyard.) FPL cheated quite a bit when they built that nearest CCS plant. When they built the original oil fired plant it was empty swamp land. Now it is a suburban sprawl with an ocean view quite close by interspersed with light industry. Also NIMBY is the reason that other plant is so far away.
But they still owned the land in Riviera Beach and the nasty oil plant was still in operation. So recently to improve the bottom line they said lets modernize. Knocked down the old inefficient plant for a "modern" (that old plant was "modern" when it was built) CCS. Which saved the company money, saved me money and improved the bottom line. Oh yeah and was much better use of resources and less affect on the environment.
It is a classic case of the benefits of capitalism. Everybody wins.
From what you are describing of the way yours working is a classic case of entrenched interests, not going into what clothes they are wearing. Assisted by NIMBY.
Though if you go back to the 80's and before FPL was apparently a case for the problems with capitalism. The reason they had that old oil fired plant to get rid of.
The US has wonderful examples of NIMBY all over the place. Not least coal fired plants in the plains feeding say, Chicago hundreds of miles away. Though the Plains wind farms are another.
It can get worse look at how much money a concentrated solar power plant in the desert spent to protect the desert tortoise. Would that be NIDTBY?
end of political stuff hopefully
Have fun,
T2M
