Bob Ackley wrote in a message to Richard Webb:

 RW> Sounds perfect for something like this.  MIne they'd be able to tell
 RW> anyway due to a radio antenna tower and masts. Still, easy to cool,
 RW> easy to heat. THat and enough land to graze a horse or two, one for
 RW> riding, one for packing. ONly time I'd need to burn fuel for
 RW> transport would be for business . SInce my power needs for the ham
 RW> station would be modest I could probably operate most times with
 RW> solar panels and storage batteries .

BA> Had a fellow out yesterday to talk about installing a geothermal
BA> system.  A measly $15,000, plus the main power feed to the house and
BA> the distribution panel have to be upgraded to handle 200 amp
BA> service, although the system normally sips the juice if it has to
BA> fall back to the backup - resistance heat - it really sucks it down.
BA> 'course the oil bill for next winter is going to approach
BA> or even exceed $2,000.

That's pretty spendy, but I'd look carefully at what bills might be with it.

BA> MidAmerican Energy gives its customers a $2,000 cash rebate if they
BA> install an all-electric heating/cooling system; plus they have a
BA> lower rate for those customers,
BA> so the initial investment outlay can be recouped fairly quickly. 

Might be worth considering for you then.

rEcall living downtown Des MOines in a new apartment building back in 1982.
 Apartments heated/cooled with those heat pumps, but they just used ambient
air as their source, not geothermal. NOt real effective.  I think my
heating bill for January 1983 was close to a picture of Mr. Franklin, and
this was for a very small apartment.


Regards,
           Richard
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+