New England Couple Works to Reduce Use of Mid East Oil. Come Learn!
From LadyHawk:
Ron and I are contributing to reducing use of Mid East oil. We installed energy efficient windows, a pellet stove in the basement (replacing the wood burning stove) and an energy efficient wood burning insert in the fire place (rather than just an open fireplace with a glass screen. Between the fire wood and pellets we've reduced the use of our oil markedly. We have two 300 gallon oil tanks in the basement. Last year we used only one of those tanks ALL YEAR! We fuel up in the summer and don't see the oil man again until the following summer. This is in NEW ENGLAND! Before those windows, the pellet stove and the wood burning insert were installed we would use up about 900 gallons a season of oil even though we used a wood burning stove in the basement all winter.
Caveats:
Keep in mind that pellets are not free. The current cost of pellets is getting up there to compete with the cost of oil, but pellets are a renewable resource that burns fairly cleanly and the fine ash residue is good for the garden. Also, pellets are purchased either from a US or Canadian supplier, keeping the $$ closer to home. There is some transportation cost of gas to get the pellets to the point of use.
Wood is free for the taking (off our neighbors' land), but it does need to be hauled, split and stacked. Some gas is used in the truck (for hauling), the chain saw and the running of our log splitter engine, about 15 gallons a season, I'd estimate. Though for the purist, logs can be split by hand.
Follow Susan down the privy path to sustainability. Explore turn-over of matter and other matters of portent.
4 comments:
LadyHawk,
Can you estimate your savings in terms of oil and lumber?
Thanks, Susan
Wood for the wood burning insert (fireplace) is free. Hauling, splitting and stacking costs are minimal (rated as good exercise).
Pellets (pressed sawdust similar in appearance to rabbit food) is only slightly less costly than oil.
We saved 600 gal of oil per year over the past 3 years since we installed the pellet stove. At $2.39 per gallon, savings is $1,434, vs. spent for pellets $1,214. The benefit is that we are reducing dependence on Mid-Eastern oil and using a renewable resource for heat (pellets) from local sources (U.S. or Canada)keeping the $$ near home.
Another benefit, those energy efficient windows tip in for really easy cleaning. Thus they get cleaned more frequently.
The energy savings changes to this cape style house were well worth the expense!
LadyHawk
Thanks Lady Hawk-a great way to sell saw dust also. As to dependence on oil, whatever is burned produces CO2-there is the rub. It would appear that wind or nuclear is the answer-but can nuclear waste be safely stored?-I think so. Even with hydrogen autos, electricity must be used for the electrolysis of water to make the hydrogen. Maybe all electric plants should be nuclear powered, and all machinery electrically powered, even to devices to mine the Yellow Cake. Anyhow what do I know?
TB
Research into a safe byproduct of nuclear would be greatly hastened if the millions we are spending per hour in Iraq were reinvested in sustainble and renewable energy sources.
The political will for this is growing but still not the outcry it sould be as we are facing a grizzly future if temps continue to rise and the global climate system changes.
Seems we are talking about politics to get the green power rising in the USA.
Suz
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