>I find it amazing that we heat houses with oil instead
>of running a motor that produces both heat and electricity.
>Maybe when the cost of oil doubles (probably soon) we will
>see these basement systems become popular.
I was 10 or 12 when my parents replaced our coal furnace with an oil one.
I remember asking then why, if heating oil was almost the same as diesel,
we didn't run an engine and do more with it.
I'm in the process now of looking for a car I can use as a co-generation
plant to run my farm. I'd realy like to find a small diesel, like an old
VW Rabbit with a manual tranny, to run a generator, a well pump and to
gather its heat. If I can't find a diesel soon, I may go with something I
can convert to propane and possibly eventualy methane from compost.
I've been getting by the last 9 months or so with no more than a car
battery and propane appliances, so my daily electric needs are minimal, but
I need to run power tools once in a while.
==>paul
