This reminds me how four of us tried to heat the kitchen in the house we shared in Cambridge with the open oven. Didn't work. Can't even remember why we did it, the heating must have gone out, I guess. Such a waste of baking energy.
Irina, experience is a great teacher. You have always voiced your opinions and people bennifit from your life lessons. But you cannot stop people from trippling down on Stupid. There are stoires out from the EU, that there is a call to spend more money on renewables to hurry and make the transition.
I don't think this problems is going away soon, and it is heading to the United States. Thanks again for your writings.
I spend all summer dreaming of days when the apartment gets back down to 19C!
I always found that wood fireplaces ended up making the room colder because of drafts (or draughts depending on where you learned to spell our crazy language). Wood stoves work well, but regular fireplaces just let all the hot air go up the chimney and suck in cold air from outside.
I can see many Americans reading this and being confused as I used to be at the concept of “airing out” the apartment by opening the windows. They actually have really tight building envelopes in Europe that don’t let in outside air very well like the US forced air systems. Things can actually get stale and mold can grow if apartments don’t occasionally open the windows.
Yep, US building standards have always been much lower. Until the 2000s it was thought that allowing drafts into the attic was a good way of air exchange. But also forced air HVAC requires air makeup, so even newer efficient US homes generally have heat exchangers that warm up incoming air using the exhaust.
Im general I find that Europeans hate moving air currents all year long (which they call drafts), while US people think the air is super stale without them!
Oh, but don't you know? Drafts KILL. Many in Eastern Europe, especially older people, believe this. Might have something to do with cold winters and drafty rooms possibly contributing to illness once upon a time but it's definitely an enduring belief.
The convection heaters are great but they do use electricity. I have 1 x 2500 watt from Noirot simple and with a timer. ( a child of French Nuclear power i expect) Great to de -chill a kitchen on a cold morning while getting ready for work. I agree though, nothing brings cozy like a wood stove!
They do that, yes, which makes them useless in "energy rationing" circumstances. We planned to get ourselves a wood stove, too. Turned out there's nowhere convenient to put it, so we're sticking with the old fireplace. It's not as efficient but it does the job fine.
Heating is one thing, maintaining that heat with insulation is another. The same holds for cooling.
Better insulation reduces your reliance on external systems/energy.
I understand in Europe there are fascinating insulation materials that can help.
Some modern houses in Germany for example are built with a thin sheet of insulation and the occupants' body heat + heat from appliances keeps room temp comfortable down to around zero degC outside temp.
I must confess that I am a bad person....I can't wait to read articles on German popsicles this Winter. According to Statista 75% of German homes have in home oil or natural gas heaters. Those windmills will need to be in fast mode to run all those little electric heaters when they run out of Putin's oil and gas.
In Winter 2021 when I was amused by the reports of freezing Texans I was especially amused by Ercot's request that their customers turn down thermostats to 68F (20C). Humans can easily survive at 60F (15C) or lower for a few days just using clothing. This would have eliminated the need to schedule some of the blackouts. Maybe German's can outthink fat Texans...or at least follow orders :).
The best long range option is insulation (of house or body) but that takes planning and in the US government funded retro insulation programs tend to be scams.
When I lived in Belgium I had electric heaters that stored energy by heating internal "bricks" at night after peak hours and released the heat later in the day.
What an interesting way to store energy! I don't think you're a bad person, I think a lot of people have had it with Germany and its self-destructive energy policies. Just the other day that Swedish MP who said he wanted to cut the Baltic cable to Germany, mocked them again.
I no longer think the people who are pushing this agenda are ignorant, I simply believe they are evil. There is no reason this has to happen, there is an abundance of inexpensive energy. For the last two years they put small businesses out of business and told us not to breathe without a mask because we might kill Grandma. Meanwhile their energy "policies" will almost certainly kill many grandmas. I pray that people will wake up, understand this is purposeful and EVIL and turn back to God. Only He can save us.
What really concerns me is not the lack of energy but the attempts by arrogant nincompoops in our governments to micro-manage society, especially when it comes to energy.
Energy, such as oil, natural gas, and nuclear, is key to a smooth-running society. When we have nincompoops managing that energy, especially morons in government who think they're smart, things start to fall apart real fast.
Remember: We didn't have any of these energy issues until panicking little Napoleons got into power.
Example? British Columbia, Canada, up until 2008 had the lowest electricity rates in North America because they rely on hydro-generation. Around 2008, the then premier of BC read a book about limited resources and/or global warming. He took a trip to California, where a certain former body-builder was governor. That governor managed to convince BC's then-premier of "We're all gonna die" Global Warming.
That premier returned to BC and instituted a "Climate Action Plan" in 2008. Electricity rates have risen 50% since then.
Their solution to the cost of electricity? First those insane CFL lightbulbs followed closely by eye-burning LED bulbs.
Since then, BC has had a series of socialist governments which wouldn't know how to maintain a hot-dog stand.
It is, in large part, because of arrogant nincompoops in government who, for votes, bribe people with their own money.
Wholeheartedly agree with your last point - there's nothing better than the smell of baking cookies in my apartment, except the heat generated by the oven. Win-win-win (the last one because I have solar PV and therefore electricity is practically free)
This reminds me how four of us tried to heat the kitchen in the house we shared in Cambridge with the open oven. Didn't work. Can't even remember why we did it, the heating must have gone out, I guess. Such a waste of baking energy.
Fan heaters work for tents, yes.
Laramie winters are brutal! I can relate. We baked all the time just to heat up the house a bit.
Irina, experience is a great teacher. You have always voiced your opinions and people bennifit from your life lessons. But you cannot stop people from trippling down on Stupid. There are stoires out from the EU, that there is a call to spend more money on renewables to hurry and make the transition.
I don't think this problems is going away soon, and it is heading to the United States. Thanks again for your writings.
Play video games - a high end gaming PC will warm a small house.
I've heard they're not exactly cheap but there is the added benefit of gaming.
I spend all summer dreaming of days when the apartment gets back down to 19C!
I always found that wood fireplaces ended up making the room colder because of drafts (or draughts depending on where you learned to spell our crazy language). Wood stoves work well, but regular fireplaces just let all the hot air go up the chimney and suck in cold air from outside.
I can see many Americans reading this and being confused as I used to be at the concept of “airing out” the apartment by opening the windows. They actually have really tight building envelopes in Europe that don’t let in outside air very well like the US forced air systems. Things can actually get stale and mold can grow if apartments don’t occasionally open the windows.
Yes, insulation is critical for efficient wood-burning in a fireplace. Do you mean it's so drafty in the U.S. you don't need airing?
Yep, US building standards have always been much lower. Until the 2000s it was thought that allowing drafts into the attic was a good way of air exchange. But also forced air HVAC requires air makeup, so even newer efficient US homes generally have heat exchangers that warm up incoming air using the exhaust.
Im general I find that Europeans hate moving air currents all year long (which they call drafts), while US people think the air is super stale without them!
Oh, but don't you know? Drafts KILL. Many in Eastern Europe, especially older people, believe this. Might have something to do with cold winters and drafty rooms possibly contributing to illness once upon a time but it's definitely an enduring belief.
The convection heaters are great but they do use electricity. I have 1 x 2500 watt from Noirot simple and with a timer. ( a child of French Nuclear power i expect) Great to de -chill a kitchen on a cold morning while getting ready for work. I agree though, nothing brings cozy like a wood stove!
They do that, yes, which makes them useless in "energy rationing" circumstances. We planned to get ourselves a wood stove, too. Turned out there's nowhere convenient to put it, so we're sticking with the old fireplace. It's not as efficient but it does the job fine.
How cold does it get in Sofia? At what temps does your AC/heatpump start having issues?
Thanks
It can get pretty cold, around -15, for example. The AC starts panting and defrosting at anything below zero, higher if it's foggy.
Heating is one thing, maintaining that heat with insulation is another. The same holds for cooling.
Better insulation reduces your reliance on external systems/energy.
I understand in Europe there are fascinating insulation materials that can help.
Some modern houses in Germany for example are built with a thin sheet of insulation and the occupants' body heat + heat from appliances keeps room temp comfortable down to around zero degC outside temp.
Yes, insulation is crucial.
I must confess that I am a bad person....I can't wait to read articles on German popsicles this Winter. According to Statista 75% of German homes have in home oil or natural gas heaters. Those windmills will need to be in fast mode to run all those little electric heaters when they run out of Putin's oil and gas.
In Winter 2021 when I was amused by the reports of freezing Texans I was especially amused by Ercot's request that their customers turn down thermostats to 68F (20C). Humans can easily survive at 60F (15C) or lower for a few days just using clothing. This would have eliminated the need to schedule some of the blackouts. Maybe German's can outthink fat Texans...or at least follow orders :).
The best long range option is insulation (of house or body) but that takes planning and in the US government funded retro insulation programs tend to be scams.
When I lived in Belgium I had electric heaters that stored energy by heating internal "bricks" at night after peak hours and released the heat later in the day.
What an interesting way to store energy! I don't think you're a bad person, I think a lot of people have had it with Germany and its self-destructive energy policies. Just the other day that Swedish MP who said he wanted to cut the Baltic cable to Germany, mocked them again.
https://twitter.com/storklompen/status/1570499952685764610
I no longer think the people who are pushing this agenda are ignorant, I simply believe they are evil. There is no reason this has to happen, there is an abundance of inexpensive energy. For the last two years they put small businesses out of business and told us not to breathe without a mask because we might kill Grandma. Meanwhile their energy "policies" will almost certainly kill many grandmas. I pray that people will wake up, understand this is purposeful and EVIL and turn back to God. Only He can save us.
Those little movable stores are called "kiosks".
Yes! THANK you!
What really concerns me is not the lack of energy but the attempts by arrogant nincompoops in our governments to micro-manage society, especially when it comes to energy.
Energy, such as oil, natural gas, and nuclear, is key to a smooth-running society. When we have nincompoops managing that energy, especially morons in government who think they're smart, things start to fall apart real fast.
Remember: We didn't have any of these energy issues until panicking little Napoleons got into power.
Example? British Columbia, Canada, up until 2008 had the lowest electricity rates in North America because they rely on hydro-generation. Around 2008, the then premier of BC read a book about limited resources and/or global warming. He took a trip to California, where a certain former body-builder was governor. That governor managed to convince BC's then-premier of "We're all gonna die" Global Warming.
That premier returned to BC and instituted a "Climate Action Plan" in 2008. Electricity rates have risen 50% since then.
Their solution to the cost of electricity? First those insane CFL lightbulbs followed closely by eye-burning LED bulbs.
Since then, BC has had a series of socialist governments which wouldn't know how to maintain a hot-dog stand.
It is, in large part, because of arrogant nincompoops in government who, for votes, bribe people with their own money.
Wholeheartedly agree with your last point - there's nothing better than the smell of baking cookies in my apartment, except the heat generated by the oven. Win-win-win (the last one because I have solar PV and therefore electricity is practically free)