[LINK] Climate change

[Ivan Trundle]

I can sympathise, Howard - having working in an office that  
experienced similar temperatures until last week.

We've just installed a refrigerated system, partly because it was  
actually cheaper to buy, and no more expensive to run, and especially  
since it doesn't use water (we don't have much here). We chose the  
most environmentally-efficient device we could get, and will make  
efforts to plant more trees in compensation.

I'd question the cost of evaporative vs full a/c: both require motors  
to run, but I would imagine that the compressor in an a/c unit would  
cost more.

Swings and roundabouts, perhaps.

However, on a more practical level, I've thrown away the evaporative  
cooler at home and decided to use more efficient means: shadecloth,  
curtains, closing the house up until the cooler evening breeze comes,  
etc. The family prefer the dryer atmosphere (the humidity was  
uncomfortable), and the lack of noise is a blessing (evaporative  
coolers are generally noisier, but it might just be that they have to  
work harder). Whilst ventilation is not poor in my home, drawing warm  
air in was a real problem at times. But now, we just close it all up  
(the home is solar-passive, so this helps). It works - except for a  
few rare days, which we can live with.

But the office environment? Neither solution is good, but I'd say  
that the jury is out on either system (and both are quiet during the  
day - but I've yet to find any system that is quiet enough at night).  
And we turn off the unit when we are out, and at night (just open the  
windows).

I'd also question the 26 degrees setting. An air temperature of 28-30  
degrees should be fine for passive sitting at desk stuff and with one  
eye to environmental and social costs (assuming that this is what  
you're doing) - unless you like to wear a lot of clothes when at the  
desk. Mind you, it might depend on how many hot computers/servers/etc  
are running.

iT

On 07/02/2007, at 4:27 PM, Howard Lowndes wrote:

> Whilst we're on the subject of climate change, I have just had a  
> ducted evaporative system installed in my place (3 bed unit, about  
> 10.5 sq excl garage).  I had a thru the wall r/c a/c that was on  
> the way out - noisy, not very effective as it only did the day  
> spaces (barely), and the r/c didn't work anyway.
>
> Now I have a cool entire unit, 26degC inside against 41degC outside  
> and 60% humidity, and doors and windows open.  I still have a gas  
> furnace for the day spaces, but for me, being ex-UK, heating in the  
> winter is not so much of a problem as cooling in the summer.
>
> The alternative was a split r/c refrigerated a/c system with  
> multiple internal units which would probably have cost more than  
> the $3.5K I paid for ducted evaporative, would have dehumidified  
> the air - think person and furniture, necessitated the place being  
> closed up tighter than a clam, and would probably have cost both  
> arms and legs to run.  OK, my new system uses water - about a  
> bathful per day, but I still think overall that it is better -  
> environmentally, economically and socially, than refrigerated systems.
>
> Opinions?
>
>
> -- 
> Howard.
> LANNet Computing Associates - Your Linux people <http:// 
> lannetlinux.com>
> When you want a computer system that works, just choose Linux;
> When you want a computer system that works, just, choose Microsoft.
> --
> Flatter government, not fatter government; abolish the Australian  
> states.
>
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Ivan Trundle
http://itrundle.com ivan at itrundle.com
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