|
Hey-- anybody familiar with thermal/heating system
engineering stuff?
I'm trying to get clear about how to set a basic
setback thermostat for max energy efficiency during unoccupied times in the
heating season.
We have short periods (36hrs. over holidays and 10
hrs.every night) when the 3,200sq.ft. building is unoccupied.
Normal setting during the occupied parts of a day is 68F. Natural gas,
forced air (roughly 20,000 BTUs/heating season, 2,000cu.ft). Medium+
interior thermal mass (a guess, how and time to measure?). Insulated
ceilings (R22), walls (R8, ho boy), 700ft.sq stormed windows. Perhaps
one+ air turnover/hr. Normal overnight outside air temp is about 28F
(Philadelphia, PA).
I guess I'm looking for a layman's
cover-all answer or direction to do more
research/data building). (You can tell by the info given, no?).
This isn't a fancy system that measures outside temps, anticipates, etc.
Do we turn the system down to 40, 50, 60F during
unoccupied times? We've been using 55 or 60F without any guidance or
monitoring...Does a setting recommendation change when a
variable changes, say thermal mass or method of heating? Same principles
apply during the cooling season, where we use many more
BTUs?
Thanks,
Steve
P.S. Would it make sense to turn our well
insulated nat'l gas tank water heater down over those 36hour unused times
too?
| 
