New paradigm for home heating automation and control

In considering how to replace a furnace diagnosed with a cracked (thus dangerous) heat exchanger last week, I discovered that this month, by my calculations, and in my case, the cost of incremental electrical energy for home heating ( $0.0506 per kWh) fell below the cost for heating by natural gas($1.52 per 100 cubic feet ~ $1.48 per therm).

Even assuming an extremely efficient furnace/boiler with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 96%, and an efficiency of 99% for electrical resistance heating, 1 million net BTUs of heat cost me $15.42 (gas) and $14.98 (resistance electrical). (The electrical power used by the blower is the same in each case.)

Using electricity to power an air-source heat pump during periods when outside air temperature is appropriate cuts the cost in half ($7.44).

This should give folks interested in home automation and control pause for thought. (Environmental considerations add yet another dimension to ponder.)

For example, leaving lights turned on 24x7 and the fridge door open both have the potential of _reducing_ my total bill from my utility during the heating season.

And the additional cost of a gas burner compared to a electrical resistance heating element is _never_ amortized by the lower price of gas.

And so on.

Lotsa balls in the air at the same time.

... Marc (still lookin for the 'rithmetic mistake ...) Marc_F_Hult

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Posted 5 years ago by Marc F Hult in General Home Automation

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