How a German Home Maximizes Energy Efficency

Bio

How far behind are we?
TOH:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS5oKdtCw5I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtDbfV5dsNs

zavnet

Information regarding 93% of forced air based heating used in US vs. 99% Hydronic based heating in Germany is amazing...

BobC

Pay me now or pay me later. i wonder if our country will ever realize how true that is.

Bob

njtommy

That's awesome. Some really nice mechanical rooms for sure.

Gordy

Sad part is all that has to be done is mandate it here.

vaporvac

I suddenly feel embarrassed about the state of my boiler room.

bob_46

I'll bet the house in the first video cost four times as much as a typical american house the same size.

Gordy

I'm sure it does not come cheap. But like they said most people live in their homes for generations. Which makes an Interesting point of view on life cycle costs, and ROI.

Tom_133

I agree with bob, I am sure it's very costly. Though I also think we in America will often stretch the duration of a mortgage and buy twice the house we "need". Notice how he said 1800sqft and a tiny kitchen. To me if we spend a lot of time in the planning and build a house or buy a house that is a bit more modest, there is quite a bit of meat on the bone for efficiency upgrades that will save money and be a lot more environmentally wise.

DJD775

The families live in those houses for generation but how many generations is the equipment going to last?

Rich_49

Not as expensive as you would think . It is scalable and we all know when stuff becomes accepted and popular the price goes down .
Gordy , we agree on many things , mandates would not be one of them . We should focus on teaching people real math as opposed to how much to spend to keep up with the Jones's and build a bigger , nicer kitchen when they eat out 5 nights a week .
When will we and our manufacturing partners start to show people that for an extra 75.00 per month on their mortgage they can spend 125.00 less on utilities and be more comfortable and healthy in their homes ?

ChrisJ

Rich said:

Not as expensive as you would think . It is scalable and we all know when stuff becomes accepted and popular the price goes down .
Gordy , we agree on many things , mandates would not be one of them . We should focus on teaching people real math as opposed to how much to spend to keep up with the Jones's and build a bigger , nicer kitchen when they eat out 5 nights a week .
When will we and our manufacturing partners start to show people that for an extra 75.00 per month on their mortgage they can spend 125.00 less on utilities and be more comfortable and healthy in their homes ?

Good luck with that.

hot_rod

Nice video,a mention of the solar on the roof would add to the story

Gordy

Rich said:

Not as expensive as you would think . It is scalable and we all know when stuff becomes accepted and popular the price goes down .
Gordy , we agree on many things , mandates would not be one of them . We should focus on teaching people real math as opposed to how much to spend to keep up with the Jones's and build a bigger , nicer kitchen when they eat out 5 nights a week .
When will we and our manufacturing partners start to show people that for an extra 75.00 per month on their mortgage they can spend 125.00 less on utilities and be more comfortable and healthy in their homes ?

Rich We agree on this its just those types you describe need to be forced then they see the light.......maybe. Nice description though, sums it up for our glutinous society.

Steve Minnich

I was in Ireland recently for a week and every single radiator I saw there had a TRV on it.

Hilly

I was in Wales last month too. Every heater has a TRV and every sink (public places where the only places I'd been really) had a TMV under them. Also there is no shame in exposed piping over there either.