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“Hybrid”

# 1: (n) loan-blend, hybrid (a word that is composed of parts from different languages (e.g., `monolingual’ has a Greek prefix and a Latin root))

# 2: (n) hybrid, crossbreed, cross ((genetics) an organism that is the offspring of genetically dissimilar parents or stock; especially offspring produced by breeding plants or animals of different varieties or breeds or species) “a mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey”

Hybrids are not just for cars anymore but in fact span many Green systems in our modern world. That’s because the power of two things combined is greater than that of one.  But we don’t often think of our homes or buildings as a place for hybrids.  Well think again.

In an effort to solve the problem of the future – sure increases in natural gas costs – new technology in heating systems replaces gas forced-air with hydronic hybrid heat.  While it is true that new high-efficiency furnaces provide heat at a much higher efficiency level than furnaces of old, they don’t solve the problem of natural gas use.  A gas forced air furnace whether new or old, is, was and will always be fired by gas. So while these new furnaces help solve an immediate problem, they don’t allow the average home owner to take advantage of the new frontier of heating that is Solar Thermal (hot water).

Hot water hybrid systems are the only kind of thermal systems that can take advantage of solar thermal integration.  In a new retrofit application for homes, gas forced air heat can easily be converted to a hot water coil system by using a tankless water heater to create both domestic hot water and space heat.  This creates a thermal system which sets up homeowners for even more energy independence by allowing the home to be heated by solar thermal energy or other alternate hydronics.

Household thermal systems are best backed by a tankless water heater which remains idle when no hot water is being used, so there is no energy wasted for the standby losses of a water tank and when there is no demand. So the solar tank can be heated for free, and the tankless just serves to take up the slack when the sun isn’t doing its job, or first thing in the morning when the solar tank is cooled down and you want a long hot shower. The reality is that, even when the solar tank is below 100 degrees it will still contribute to energy efficiency, because the tankless will only use the energy needed to finish the job. Tankless water heaters will produce more flow and run more efficiently when they have warmer water introduced to them, maximizing the year round potential of solar hot water.

 If we continue to install conventional furnaces in our homes, we will always be stuck with a system that is difficult to augment with alternative energy sources. So the first step is to convert that gas forced-air furnace into something that will allow for new technology as it becomes affordable. That starts with a hot water hybrid heating system at home, and supplementing commercial boiler systems with solar thermal panels.

The latest from Washington is a program that puts you in a position to make rapid gains in energy savings.  While what this means yet is still unclear, you can be sure that an Energy Audit will play a key role. Many local utilities, counties and cities have already made energy audits available. The word on the street is that Energy Audits will be free or nearly free for most Americans in the coming year.  What an audit provides is an assessment of the largest area of energy consumption as well as a diagnosis of the comfort in the home including air sealing & insulation.  A good auditor will include the efficiency of the heating, cooling and ventilation system in the home, which is the largest energy expense in every home.

A COMMON RETROFIT – hot water heating & furnace upgrades

A cold or hot room, a hidden draft or a noisy furnace that clicks off & on and running out of hot water are all are sure signs of needing an upgrade.  These are common discomforts that are easily resolved with simple energy saving retrofits… here’s why it works ->

Being true to the first laws of thermodynamics: Heat migrates to cold and moist migrates to dry. Also, latent heat contains moisture, so if we are able to remove or neutralize some of the dryness in the air, we will be more easily able to infiltrate colder rooms with heat. The long and short of it: warmer, moist air will more quickly find the cold and dry rooms.

So we can alleviate discomfort to a great degree by eliminating combustion air, and the only way to do this is to use sealed-combustion heating and water heating appliances. One of the more effective and efficient ways to do this is by converting an old furnace to a hot water air handler and installing a sealed-combustion tankless or high-efficiency tank water heater and using the heat exchange of water to air instead of direct firing (fire to air) to create space heat. This also opens the way for future energy improvements using alternative sources such as solar thermal. In any case, making sure we do not need to drag a lot of dry cold air into the building for combustion is a sure way to neutralize air dryness and make the building considerably more energy efficient.

Imagine having and endless supply of hot showers while at the same time saving money and helping the environment. Sound impossible? Not when you consider the fact that the amount of energy wasted in North America each year to simply keep a tank of hot water permanently on standby and ready for our use (even while we sleep)is enough energy to power a small third world nation. Why are we spending our hard-earned dollars to consume fossil fuels in our sleep to heat a tank of hot water that we will never use?

Tankless water heaters only consume energy when you use hot water and instantly heat your water when you turn on the tap. Tankless water heater technology has been a proven solution for over 25 years in Europe and Japan and is just now exploding in demand across North America as homeowners wake up to the benefits of tankless hot water heaters. Let’s review some of their benefits:

REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION
A tankless water heater only consumes energy when you are using hot water. It instantly heats the hot water supply to the required temperature “on demand” and does not waste energy maintaining a large tank of hot water 24 hours a day.

ENDLESS HOT WATER SUPPLY
No more cold showers! As long as you’ve selected the correct flow rate model for your home you no longer need to worry about running out of hot water in the shower - even if your teenagers are showering in the other bathroom while your dishwasher and washing machine are on.

SAVE ON HEATING COSTS
The reduced energy consumption of tankless water heaters compared to tank-style water heaters will translate into savings and money in your wallet. The amount you save will vary from household to household and will depend on your water usage patterns and climate. The average homeowner will usually see savings of 15% - 25%, while households that have smaller hot water demands may see savings of up to 48%.

GET PAID TO SWITCH
Under the Energy Tax Incentives Act you can qualify for a $300 Federal rebate by switching your hot water tank to a tankless water heater unit. Act now before these incentives expire!

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLIER
Switching to a tankless water heater will help the environment in 3 ways. Going tankless will reduce the amount of fossil fuels you consume to heat your household water. Secondly, as tankless heaters are typically smaller units than traditional hot water tanks, they require less metal and help reduce the global demand for mining and metal consumption. Thirdly, tankless heaters last 2 - 3 times longer than traditional hot water tanks and will further reduce the demand for metal inputs and lower landfill waste levels.

SPACE SAVING
As an added bonus you will gain storage space in your house due to the simple fact that tankless water heaters are much smaller in size that traditional hot water heaters and can be installed more conveniently in a wide range of locations.

There is a lot to be gained by switching from tank to tankless water heaters, and demand is growing. Why not learn more about tankless heaters and see if they are right for your home. If you act soon, you can still get in on the rebate and get the government to pay you to switch!

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S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, contributor, and editor of the <a href="http://www.tanklesswaterheatersolutions.com">Tankless Water Heater Solutions</a> information portal which reports on the latest hot water heater energy news in the water heating industry.

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