It’s just June, and Greg Burch has already dropped off three cords of wood for the winter. We used to hire kids to help stack it, but my Willa Cather wife decided last year that she loves to stack firewood, and so she did.
Greg gives us about a week to stack (I help throw the wood to her inside the shed) and we work to keep up with him. At this rate, we’ll have a shed full of wood by early July, a record for us.
Boy, did I marry well? I never conceived of an artist who had My Antonia running through her blood. She even stacks the corners right, her stacks never fall apart. Up here, that is of great value.
I’ve asked Greg for seven chords this year.
In the summer, we expected no electric bills. In the winter we need little heating oil, the stoves keep us warm.
I love getting the farmhouse ready for winter. Our solar panels will be here in a couple of weeks. I want to make it clear that with government incentives and the creative financing of solar companies, it is possible to get solar heating with no money down and monthly payments that turn out to be lower than conventional heating bills.
Most of these panels go on roofs, but we have a pasture with Southern exposure and a slate roof, which doesn’t work with solar. Check it out, solar companies are all over the Internet and easy to find.
Congrats on your new solar project!
Just so you know, solar output continues throughout the winter and is sometimes more efficient when the temperature is cold. With your budding environmental concern, you may be able to reduce your use of wood by using more electric heat. This would eliminate some of the damaging particulate pollution of burning wood and perhaps reduce your heating bills overall.
Here in Ontario, Canada, a few years ago we contracted for 2 MicroFIT solar projects of 10kW each to be our retirement investment. They pay us about $25,000 per year for 20 years. Our experience has been that the solar energy can be greater on cold, sunny winter days.
Just something to consider and perhaps experiment with this winter.
I too would like to congratulate you on going solar! And as Hazel suggested, I’d consider electricity for heating, specifically air-source heat pumps (not resistance heat). Burning a fuel will never get you to 100% efficiency; heat pumps move heat so can have efficiencies of several hundred percent. In an old building, they can reduce your need for wood-burning in the shoulder seasons, and have the added benefit of serving for cooling and dehumidification.
To be really efficient and comfortable. you’d want to tackle the structure first: air sealing, followed by added insulation. If you could reach an almost air-tight building (not likely in an old farmhouse), add an energy recovery ventilation system for healthy indoor air quality. We don’t build homes with the intent that people might breathe indoors. We rely on air leaks, so we also heat or cool the outdoors and have no control over indoor fresh air. Our political system isn’t the only thing broken…
Low-temperature air-source heat pumps are generally rated to at least minus 13 Fahrenheit and can perform at even lower temperatures–fine throughout upstate NY. In NY specifically, rebates from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the utility companies, and sometimes equipment manufacturers can be bundled, making heat-pumps surprisingly cost-effective. Note that these systems do not require ductwork.
Most heating and air conditioning systems must be properly sized to work properly, yet air-source heat pumps have an advantage that you can size them for an inefficient building, and make building-envelope improvements over time. If the equipment runs at perhaps 30 to 70 percent of its rated capacity, there is no penalty in operating cost and the life span of the equipment may increase (the larger equipment will cost slightly more).
I take an unpopular view that ground-source heat pumps (advertised as ‘geothermal’) generally do not make economic sense. Real-world numbers show only a slight increase in efficiency, at a much higher installation cost. They can make sense for heating in areas with extremely high below-ground temperatures, such as Iceland and some regions in California. I prefer using extra dollars to make the building more efficient, reducing the need for heating and cooling. Then you are more comfortable indoors even if the power is off.
I also take a very unpopular position not to use the most popular insulation, such as various foam products, either as boards or sprayed in place. Some, in my opinion, may be health hazards, may shrink, and may be a hazard in case of fire. Some are not easily removed for later structural repairs. Many can contribute significantly to climate change.
Disclosure: I build certified Passive Houses and serve as a consultant on energy-efficient construction.