Still warm, and still cool (Maine superinsulated solar home)

[jpak]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/local/070123house.html

KENNEBUNK - James McKenney was waiting for the question.

"This," he says, "is my fuel bill for the entire year."
The 87-year-old hands over a small yellow receipt for 164 gallons of kerosene that cost him $445 last summer. "That's it," McKenney says, his eyes twinkling.

Unpredictable oil prices and concern about global warming are fueling a lot more interest these days in super-efficient homes and alternative energy. But those ideas are nothing new to McKenney, whose solar-heated, energy-efficient home in Kennebunk made news 25 years ago. A newspaper headline at the time called it a "space-age saltbox."

"I think this is the first super-insulated home in Maine," he said. "I'd like people to know that if they want to save a tremendous amount of money over the years, it's super simple. There's nothing complex about it."

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[luckyleftyme2]

1. I HEARD THE PELLET STOVE WORKS WELL

A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A DAUGHTER IN scarboro who lives in an older home on rte.114. he bought a pellet stove and claims he heats his house for about a dolar and change a day. uses oil for back up.
my son has a home built for electric heat,he uses a kerosene space heater,and oil furnace back up.cut his heating bil in half.
just a couple more ideas,i have a friend that has solar panels for his indoor plant room;he has
fresh veggies year round and it helps to heat his home.

[jpak]

2. I got a relative in Scarborough that put in a pellet stove insert last year

cut his oil bill by 2/3's...

[madokie]

3. we been using wood pellets since '91 and we heat for around 300 bucks a year

we passed our old pellet stove down to our youngest and now he heats the winter for around 300 bucks too. Our only alternatives is propane or electric.

[JohnWxy]

4. We should be incentivising maximum energy efficiency in home and commercial construction.

Would cut down on a huge amount of carbon emissions. Relatively easy, not-so-high-tech way to get big results.

REcommend everybody email Senators and Congressmen saying push through tax rebates (or some other way) to incentivise the building of residential and commercial structures that achieve maximum energy efficiency!

www.congress.org makes it very easy to email your representatives in government. Just type in your zip and it pops up with your representatives and senators. you type in your message and click on send. That's it!

[kestrel91316]

5. But I thought Unka Dick said that conservation was STOOPID

and that the Amurkan Way of Life(TM) was non-negotiable..............

[JohnWxy]

6. Cheney, he could play a James Bond movie villain so well _

"No Mr. Bond, I expect you to DIE." (bond being anybody who doesn't see things his way.)