... to heat their home in winter time?

I use wood. What is the alternative? ;)

The alternative is high cost grid electricity

Funny thing, when I applied for and got the discount my provider was offering, the cost per kwh suddenly went from 23c/kwh to 28c/kwh

Not reading too much of the fine print, I was believing the discount would come off the 23c/kwh - not so!

The very next bill with the discount was for 28c/kwh, I saved nothing, I was back to square one paying the same motza as before

Gas is another alternative, but it's not cheaper than electricity

http://theconversation.com/the-cheapest-way-to-heat-your-home-with-renewable-energy-just-flick-a-switch-47087

So how do you save the environment if you use wood, electricity or gas for winter heating?

If the Government meets all the emission reduction targets, will people freeze in winter?

No one is really interested, right?

If Australia changed over to only solar and wind, industry would completely stop, wouldn't it? Or are we going to end up with lots of tiny sole trader low energy businesses. That's about all solar and wind will support

How many of us really believe the Government is sincere about reducing power costs?. After spending hours on the web and phone calls, from a $2,000/year bill, all I can get is a $100 saving, 27.4c per day - very generous!

It's time for a re-think about the whole energy business

Bias_2012 wrote on Jul 18^th, 2018 at 5:12pm:

So how do you save the environment if you use wood, electricity or gas for winter heating?

You emit more CO2. Plant food. Also needed for the reflex action of breathing for humans. It is good stuff.

Put on a Massive Solar Array System and use a Modern Reverse Cycle Heat Pump AC

or

do the above and use hydronic heating...

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Jul 18^th, 2018 at 8:12pm:

use a Modern Reverse Cycle Heat Pump AC

I have an older version of this, but using it skyrockets the winter bill


So not many people are using alternative energy for heating in winter? It's either grid electricity, grid gas or wood burning they use, all of which produce considerable emissions

Hydronic heating uses gas or electricity. Solar power hydronic heating would require batteries for continuous power in the night time, and the batteries would have to maintain a high wattage, to heat the house for at least eight hours per winters day. The batteries, probably would have to be a separate power source to the house main battery, given the amount of power required for heating. Otherwise the house main battery would be flat at about nine o'clock each night

Bias_2012 wrote on Jul 17^th, 2018 at 6:29pm:

... to heat their home in winter time?

Well ACT has a high proportion of alternative energy

Is the ACT representative of the whole of Australia?

Even the representatives are not representative of the whole of Australia. Maybe the "hole" of Canberra.

ACT has about 62% of per capita emissions compared to the rest of Australia. So about 3/8ths less than the average Australian.

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Jul 18^th, 2018 at 8:12pm:

Put on a Massive Solar Array System and use a Modern Reverse Cycle Heat Pump AC or do the above and use hydronic heating...

A solar array might not work too well in winter -
there is just not enough bright sun.

We need cheap, reliable, safe power.
That's why I'm supporting Thorium research here on the environment forum.

http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1519823686/0#0

"Hughes MP Craig Kelly said high power prices meant many households were unable to adequately heat their homes."


Renewable energy will kill people this winter

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-13/renewable-energy-killing-people-this-winter,-liberal-mp-says/8703836


Fast forward 12 months and the same is true except for one thing - power is dearer now than last year

Bias_2012 wrote on Jul 19^th, 2018 at 1:13pm:

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Jul 18th, 2018 at 8:12pm: use a Modern Reverse Cycle Heat Pump AC I have an older version of this, but using it skyrockets the winter bill So not many people are using alternative energy for heating in winter? It's either grid electricity, grid gas or wood burning they use, all of which produce considerable emissions Hydronic heating uses gas or electricity. Solar power hydronic heating would require batteries for continuous power in the night time, and the batteries would have to maintain a high wattage, to heat the house for at least eight hours per winters day. The batteries, probably would have to be a separate power source to the house main battery, given the amount of power required for heating. Otherwise the house main battery would be flat at about nine o'clock each night

they are saying that modern day heat pumps are 40% more efficient ...

in regards to the hydronic system...

use a storage Tank... people I know use a 1000 ltr tank that gets heated throughout the day...

im not sure they need one that big but it does the job easily.... they are off grid totally...

I was looking at a system a couple of weeks back and it was only running a 100 ltr storage tank... that doesn't seem big enough to me..

The pensioners that are still alive must have worked out a pretty good system.

Stay in bed.  Put on 5 layers of clothes. Drink whiskey.  Go to a heated train station or shopping center.

In frozen England they use some sort of pipe system that goes down into the ground and up into the house.

I've seen it in one of those house building documentaries on TV over in England.


https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/styles/large/public/2014-11/heat-pump-heating.png

Freezing on the couch?

"Here's a startling fact: more people die from the cold in Australia than in Sweden. Research from medical journal The Lancet revealed that the cold contributed to about 3.7% of deaths in Sweden, but 6.7% (one in 15 deaths) in Australia.

So how can relatively mild Australian winters can result in more deaths than the below-zeros in Scandinavia? It seems that constant exposure to low temperatures increases not only blood pressure, but the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as our heart and lungs struggle to warm us up. It's an important reminder that keeping your home warm in winter is not just for comfort but is for your health's sake too.

Australian homes are often better at keeping cool rather than warm (though some homes aren't good either way - too hot in summer and too cold in winter). Adrian Barnett, Professor of Public Health from the Queensland University of Technology, has called Australian houses "glorified tents", which expose Australians to much lower temperatures than the Scandinavians endure inside ....."


https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/heating/home-heating/articles/how-to-keep-warm-this-australian-winter-170915

Bias_2012 wrote on Aug 21^st, 2018 at 2:47pm:

Freezing on the couch? "Here's a startling fact: more people die from the cold in Australia than in Sweden. Research from medical journal The Lancet revealed that the cold contributed to about 3.7% of deaths in Sweden, but 6.7% (one in 15 deaths) in Australia. So how can relatively mild Australian winters can result in more deaths than the below-zeros in Scandinavia? It seems that constant exposure to low temperatures increases not only blood pressure, but the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as our heart and lungs struggle to warm us up. It's an important reminder that keeping your home warm in winter is not just for comfort but is for your health's sake too. Australian homes are often better at keeping cool rather than warm (though some homes aren't good either way - too hot in summer and too cold in winter). Adrian Barnett, Professor of Public Health from the Queensland University of Technology, has called Australian houses "glorified tents", which expose Australians to much lower temperatures than the Scandinavians endure inside ....." https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/heating/home-heating/articles/how-to-keep-warm-this-australian-winter-170915

Tony Abbott said much the same as this and was branded a lunatic by the Leftwing Media...

Bias_2012 wrote on Aug 21^st, 2018 at 2:47pm:

Freezing on the couch? "Here's a startling fact: more people die from the cold in Australia than in Sweden. Research from medical journal The Lancet revealed that the cold contributed to about 3.7% of deaths in Sweden, but 6.7% (one in 15 deaths) in Australia. So how can relatively mild Australian winters can result in more deaths than the below-zeros in Scandinavia? It seems that constant exposure to low temperatures increases not only blood pressure, but the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as our heart and lungs struggle to warm us up. It's an important reminder that keeping your home warm in winter is not just for comfort but is for your health's sake too. Australian homes are often better at keeping cool rather than warm (though some homes aren't good either way - too hot in summer and too cold in winter). Adrian Barnett, Professor of Public Health from the Queensland University of Technology, has called Australian houses "glorified tents", which expose Australians to much lower temperatures than the Scandinavians endure inside ....." https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/heating/home-heating/articles/how-to-keep-warm-this-australian-winter-170915

I have a friend from Germany who says that many Australian houses
are not fit for animals yet alone people.
They are too hot in summer & too cold in winter &
have only 1 star energy ratings.

There are also too many old fibro dumps full of asbestos.

There is no doubt cheap plentiful coal is the ONLY answer for cheap endless energy.

You know, just like the last 200 years or so.