Sunday, January 31, 2010

Heat Pump Progress and More Options

Here's a heat pump water heater that can be placed in a different place than the water storage tank. That might fix the awkwardness of most HPWH applications. A garage, unused basement room, greenhouse, or even outside might make sense.

Also, here's a brand new DC minisplit heat pump that possibly could improve efficiencies.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Zoning Code Update

"Final Release" of Denver's new zoning code has now been posted:
www.newcodedenver.com

ADU's have been identified as the most sustainable feature in the new code. Not only do they provide some urban housing that should get many cars off the streets, they are the perfect place to put active solar. Note that passive solar access is impossible to provide except on the south end of every block.

Draft 4 allows for the 2-story ADU's that are needed to get solar systems up and out of the shade. As usual, the buyer of solar needs to be aware of the neighbor's trees so that his new system won't be shaded.