Variable Speed/ Capacity Air Conditioner in practice...

[brianl703]

17.50 isnt enough of a connection charge.

It's what was determined by NOVEC and the State Corporation Commission to be sufficient to pay for the infrastructure and it's maintenance.

It's not intended to have anything to do with consumption. It pays for the meter, the service drop, the transformer, the poles, the wires, and the maintenance of those items.

Although I was charged $8000 for the installation of the transformer, primary and secondary wire, and installation when my house was built.

 

[Rand]

It's what was determined by NOVEC and the State Corporation Commission to be sufficient to pay for the infrastructure and it's maintenance.

It's not intended to have anything to do with consumption. It pays for the meter, the service drop, the transformer, the poles, the wires, and the maintenance of those items.

Although I was charged $8000 for the installation of the transformer, primary and secondary wire, and installation when my house was built.N

Not sure how it works down there but for mine.
there is also a distro fee and other fees that pay into the grid besides the connection charge.
With net billing(metering?)you arent paying any/enough of those charges
analogy:
How hybrids use the road but pay less tax than they "should" due to lower consumption of gas.

This is a hard topic to discuss apples to apples since its billed wildly different regionally.

 

[brianl703]

Not sure how it works down there but for mine.
there is also a distro fee and other fees that pay into the grid besides the connection charge.

They have a variable consumption charge and a fixed distribution/connection charge.

The variable consumption charge is based on how much energy you use. It pays for the electrons.

The fixed distribution/connection/service charge pays for the equipment (and it's upkeep) that the electrons travel over. It's $17.50 a month. You pay that even if you use zero electricity in a month.

Monthly Service Charge – Reflects costs associated with building and maintaining a reliable delivery system for NOVEC customers. Energy use does not affect this cost.

I thought most utilities structure their billing in the same way. There may even be a regulatory requirement that they do so in some states.

 

[UncleDave]

I have preached the merits of inverter-driven HVAC units for years. I'm more of a fan of the Daikin and Mitsubishi systems, tho.

I've seen the results of investing in the Daikin systems with power bills. First was my mother's house about 2 years ago (since sold).

The second is a current co-worker who finished a 3300 sf home in central GA. I designed two systems for his home, both single port condensing units, one a 4-ton system and the other a 1.5 ton system for upstairs. 5.5 tons on 3300 square feet is unreal in Georgia, they keep their house at 68-69 in the summer during the day (wife is at home) and 64-65 at night he tells me.

The house is spray-foamed, as I recommended.

He said he power bill for the month of June was $132. This is an all-electric home with a heat pump water heater, 4 occupants and they stay more than comfortable. Conversely, my 2500 sf home is poorly insulated, 6 tons of AC, gas water heater, gas cooking but two pool pumps and we keep it at 68-69 at night and setpoint when we are away is 80 (never gets to 76). Our power bill in June, July and August averages $320/mo for the last 6 years.

I need to bite the bullet and take my own medicine and install a 5-ton multi-port condensing unit and new air handlers. I suspect I would reduce our annual energy costs by $2400+ per year. That savings would pay for the new system in 3 years.

I see a lot of the mini splits at the places I stay when I travel and if you need to put AC/ heat in a room without any ductwork these things are the bomb.
Infinitely more flexible with every room and area independent (unless sharing a compressor)

Where they fall down is filtration and higher end features like humidification. I see a lot of them that need to be cleaned more often.

I would have been better off with two discreet systems like you and few others proposed. I can get pretty close functionally but its isnt quite the same.

Im curious what i could save in the winter If I flipped it to a heat pump - I have the excess generation to pay, and Id keep the gas as a secondary.

 

[UncleDave]

If I view both phases looks as though the handler and compressor can diverge if they see fit - but they are most often in sync.

I've seen them both throttle down to like an amp and half each.

 

[brianl703]

Where they fall down is filtration and higher end features like humidification. I see a lot of them that need to be cleaned more often.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

ECM blower motor? Do you think your unit is oversized?

 

[PimTac]

I see a lot of the mini splits at the places I stay when I travel and if you need to put AC/ heat in a room without any ductwork these things are the bomb.
Infinitely more flexible with every room and area independent (unless sharing a compressor)

Where they fall down is filtration and higher end features like humidification. I see a lot of them that need to be cleaned more often.

I would have been better off with two discreet systems like you and few others proposed. I can get pretty close functionally but its isnt quite the same.

Im curious what i could save in the winter If I flipped it to a heat pump - I have the excess generation to pay, and Id keep the gas as a secondary.

I have a house with several splits installed. The filtration was something I questioned in the beginning as the screen they use just consists of nylon filament woven together like a screen. But they seem to capture the dust and whatever pretty good. This is just my guess but the air intake is not being drawn directly thru the screen at a 90° angle but at a more angled direction so I noticed more dirt capture at the leading edge and then it works down from there. I clean them about every three months and that is a quick job.

One the newer models they have sensors that detect humans in the room so if you leave for a while the unit will start to slow down after a few minutes and stays that way until you return then it speeds up. The directional louvers are also electronic so it directs the cooled air depending on how many people are in the room.

 

[UncleDave]

I have a house with several splits installed. The filtration was something I questioned in the beginning as the screen they use just consists of nylon filament woven together like a screen. But they seem to capture the dust and whatever pretty good. This is just my guess but the air intake is not being drawn directly thru the screen at a 90° angle but at a more angled direction so I noticed more dirt capture at the leading edge and then it works down from there. I clean them about every three months and that is a quick job.

One the newer models they have sensors that detect humans in the room so if you leave for a while the unit will start to slow down after a few minutes and stays that way until you return then it speeds up. The directional louvers are also electronic so it directs the cooled air depending on how many people are in the room.

Are you sharing a compressor or are they each individual?
Which one did you go with?

 

[PimTac]

Are you sharing a compressor or are they each individual?
Which one did you go with?

These are all individual. Panasonic and Sanyo. A few years after I bought them, Sanyo got bought by Panasonic.

Variable speed compressors and also inverter. The sensors I mentioned really do a lot to make the units efficient. The newer Panasonic I have has multiple sensors. It will know if multiple people show up in the living room and adjust for the comfort both in temperature and louver swing vertically and horizontally.

It actually freaks some people out when they are sitting alone in the room and the unit is blowing cold air on them. They will move to avoid that but after thirty seconds or so the unit redirects the air again.

 

[UncleDave]

The years first heatwave has been an interesting learning experience about my new improved home.

No doubt the ability to throttle the AC has saved a fairly dramatic amount of energy.

New roof is holding a 21 degree delta on the second floor with ac off.

Without much conservation if any, the solar is covering over 100% of the electrical load as Im still net exporting during this heatwave.

One thing has become really clear is the 20KW whole house genset (18KW on nat gas) has quite a bit of headroom and can easily accommodate a healthy level of car charging when that comes down the road

House was a constant 75 degrees in living area
77 is my office which is directly below the attic, I have a ceiling fan.