Here's mine.

A lot of hype, no details.

http://www.cleantechblog.com/2010/02/saving-cleantech-bloom-town-silicon.html

Home heating efficiency what can be done ?

Home heating systems transfer energy from a fuel into the home. Fuel costs money. The more energy is needed the more fuel is burned and subsequently the more expense is incurred. Lowering the demand for energy reduces expenses. Heating system efficiency is the measure of how well the boiler or furnace transfer the energy from the fuel into the water or air. The heating system efficiency never takes into account whether there is a need for heat that is the responsibility of the thermostat.  In general the heating system has two speeds on and off. Imagine a car that has no accelerator only two speeds standing still and 60 MPH. 

The size of the heating system installed in a home is determined by the square footage of the home and the lowest outside temperature that could be experienced in the homes geographic location.  The size of the system determines how much fuel it burns when it is on.  The larger the size of the heating system the more fuel it will burn and the more it will cost to operate it.

Insulation and smart thermostats are a great ways to reduce energy consumption and increase comfort in the home. The Geo Einstein works as an adjunct to the smart thermostat and high efficiency boilers.   Energy usage optimization requires a complete system approach. The GEO Einstein product adds value to the home owner by bridging the intelligence gap between the thermostat and the boiler.

Theory of operation

 

The GEO Einstein is an intelligent control system that is installed in the electrical path between the aquastat and ignition of the boiler. The GEO Einstein is installed in such a way as to only allow it to interrupt the ignition. It can never initiate ignition.

GEO Einstein saves fuel by holding off the burning of fuel when it is not needed.

When is the burning of fuel not needed?

·         When the home is unoccupied less fuel can be consumed by allowing the home temperature to vary in larger amounts than the thermostat will allow.

·         When the home is drawing small amounts of energy from the heating system. When the draw of the home is small because the heating system can maintain the desired heat level with a lower aquastat temperature. 

Home occupancy sensor.

GEO Einstein uses two methods to detect occupancy.

Hot Water draw

GEO Einstein can determine that domestic hot water is used within the home.  Hot water is used throughout the day when a home is occupied.  Hot water is consumed when the home occupants wash their hands, shower, wash clothes, wash dishes etc. If no hot water is drawn within the home for a programmable period of time ( 1- 36 hours) then GEO Einstein declares the home unoccupied and initiates its energy saving mode of operation. The hot water draw method of presence detects a long period of inactivity.

Wireless presence sensor

GEO Einstein provides an optional key bunch dongles. The dongle looks much like an automobile wireless key entry. The dongles connect to the GEO Einstein controller via a Wireless link. When all the dongles are no longer in wireless range of the Einstein controller 100 ft the Einstein system initiates its energy savings mode.  This allows the GEO Einstein to react quickly to the home occupants coming and going.  The system supports multiple dongles. Only when all dongles are not visible does the system declare the home unoccupied. The quick reaction of the system and the automatic entry and exit of energy saving mode will reduce energy consumption.  

 

Load demand

The GEO Einstein FS system monitors the temperature of the water entering and leaving the boiler.  The difference between those temperatures is equivalent to the amount of energy transferred into the home.  The amount of energy transferred is not simply the difference in temperature but rather a more complex relationship  based on the number of heating zones being heated , the size of the home, the volume of water in the heating system, the outside temperature , amount of insulation etc… Geo Einstein uses an innovative method to compute in real time the amount of energy transferred to the home that takes into account all the factors mentioned.  Once Einstein computes the load it tracks the load behavior. If the load is seen to increase or is large, Einstein does not interfere and the heating system delivers all the energy it can to the home. If Einstein sees that the load is small or decreasing then the heating system is sending too much energy into the home. It is at this point that the GEO Einstein enters energy saving mode.  The GEO system constantly monitors the load and reacts quickly (within seconds) to any changes.  This operation of the GEO system is automatic and requires no intervention by the home owner or service people.

 

Energy Savings Mode

When the GEO Einstein system enters energy savings mode it lowers the maximum temperature that the boiler can reach.  Fuel is saved by keeping the boiler at a lower temperature. When the boiler temperature is kept at a lower temperature the GEO Einstein system continually monitors the amount of energy drawn by the home. When the system determines that the home needs more energy it allows the boiler temperature to return to its natural level. This process happens automatically. The decision to lower the boiler temperature or allow it to rise adjusts itself to the number of heating zones demanding energy and to changes in the outdoor temperature.

Find out more on what we do

Contact us at

Green Energy Optimizers

http://www.GreenEnergyOptimizers.com

1 (877) GEO- 5650

I'm looking for data on the efficiency of CSP solar in relation to ambient temperature, i.e. curves that show how net energy output decreases with rising temperature because of increased cooling needs. Any idea where the best place to find that would be?

IIT Madras is to be the Education Partner of Asia's first and most prestigious sustainable/cleantech venture competition in 2010. The competition is now in its third year, and comes on the heels of the phenomenal success of the second official Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture Competition™ at IIT Kharagpur, November 6-7, 2009.

The IIT Madras Finalist Team (Greenext Technology Solutions) from the 2009 Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture Competition™ Won the First Coveted NYC 'Next Idea' Prize from Mayor Bloomberg on January 7, 2010. Here's  the story.