DIY Installations

[Jamie Bourgeois]

Has anyone had problems with their home insurance company in regards to your RE installations?

Everything I have done so far has had me a little concerned about my next visit from the insurance company.

Just wondering if i am worrying too much.

Jamie

[Paul Bailey]

I think that if you install to code then nobody needs to worry. And the install is safe for your family!!. Insurance companies are starting to realize that these systems are becoming more prevelant in this day and age and are starting to accept them Vs. turning a blind eye to the individual that might have one on thier property. Other insurance / home safety inspectors really don't have a clue as to what there looking at ...Renewables that is . And while were on this topic there requesting A Visit to look at furnace/electrical/plumbing/fireplace and chimney/ the roof and the list goes on. Come to find out they've got the crackerjacks version on generalities (A 2 day course) , and a license for Not one of the above. Now ask me if I'm impressed with New insurance game. Paul:)

[Jamie Bourgeois]

Dont get me wrong I would never do anything that would put my family in harms way,but the insurance company I have are kind quick to change my policy if they need to. (ie:not covering me for wind damage because I have shingles missing on my roof.)I still have to put my tower up for my wind turbine,but I am a little leary of the insurance fall out.

off topic. What about permits?Are they difficult to get for RE.

[Ralph Day]

Hi Jamie

Permits are there for the asking, and paying. EAS (electrical safety authority) formerly service of Ontario Hydro is a must if you're grid tying, a must too.

I approached my municipality for a building permit for my turbine tower...the instarllers insisted for their insurance reasons. Permits here are $100 minimum then based on costs too. only include the cost of the tower kit, pipe and anchors, the turbine is not what the permit is for...or wire, or controller etc.

Permits are everyone's way of covering their butts, the municipality, the installer, the homeowner...if it's installed correctly and with the appropriate permits you've got no worries, or fewer of them.

For a turbine tower expect to have a big file to send along, hopefully without haveing to have an engineer sign off on it with their seal.

good luck
ralph

[Stellar Gellar]

Is it good to design a green house or eco-friendly houses in tropical climate?:wondering:

[Joe Blake]

It sure is. Cooling a poorly designed house can cost as much as, if not more than, heating a poorly designed house.

In fact when you think about it, it's much EASIER to heat a house than cool it. What's the opposite of fire? I don't think there is one.

:p

Plus you can do things like keeping the air moving to control for humidity to minimise wood rot and fungus.

I've never lived in a tropical climate (except during the war) but you're almost sure to have sunlight (when it isn't bucketing down with rain), so if you have enough PV panels you could run a "water-from-air-condenser" and not only have fresh, clean drinking water, but it will dry the air out and make life more comfortable, because dry air can be used to cool by evaporation better than humid air, and evap cooling is pretty simple. Even a simple chimney funnel with a rotating wind-driven fan on top to move the air inside a house. Or a solar driven fan.

And don't forget a "green" house is a very variable thing. If you build a house out of local renewable resources (eg bamboo) that may be "greener" than building a house out of concrete or bricks, even though the synthetic materials may be better insulating than bamboo. You have to take into account the amount of resources/ energy consumed in the building as well as how much energy it uses while you're living in it, as well as the "recycle-ability" of the house.

Sounds like you're in for a bit of fun there.

Joe

PS If I may diffidently make a suggestion, you may get a better response from readers if you create a separate thread with a more appropriate (specific) title, rather than using a fairly irrelevant existing thread.


JB