Chapter 5.1.8 - Fuel Selection Analysis

Fuel cost projection and analysis have become a more difficult input to the complex
process of system selection than has historically been the case. Fuel costs have fluctuated
widely, and significant long-term influences are emerging. The advance in
seismic and extraction technology has identified and unlocked oil and gas reserves.
Advances in gas steam turbine heat recovery, secondary combustion, and electric
power generation technology have increased efficiency from 30 percent to more
than 80 percent, using natural gas. (See Fig. 1.5.)

Computer, electronics, and programming technology advances combined with investment
in related transmission infrastructure and industry mergers, have vastly increased
the ability of electric utilities to route power to serve need.Vast energy trading
operations present new energy supply and cost management options for both utilities
and consumers.The economic practicality of less expensive, smaller generation facilities
designed for intermittent and peak power generation is another important factor
to be considered in electricity cost and availability analysis projections.

The dramatic advances in electric power generation efficiency are being incorporated
into new and existing generation facilities. The strategies include combinedcycle
gas generation, heat recovery, and secondary combustion for both gas and coal
plants, where coal is first converted into gas. These techniques can dramatically
increase the Btu conversion efficiency from the historic average of approximately 33
percent to a somewhere between 40 and 80 percent, depending upon the circumstances.
Aside from the normal shareholder-driven quest for greater economic
returns, public policy is driving utilities to reduce pollution while increasing capacity
to facilitate economic expansion through the provision of adequate electric power at
rates that increase with or below the rate of inflation. The impact of public policy,
industry deregulation, and foreign energy pricing are the wild cards in energy pricing
and availability projections.

Deregulation of the natural gas and electric utility industries not only opens markets
to competition, but also unleashes a torrent of technology investment. Interindustry
corporate mergers create companies that provide a selection of energy
choices. All of these developments tend to narrow fuel economic differences and to
lessen the significance of fuel heating and cooling energy selection. A leveling of the
fuel selection options enables review of the full range of comparative qualitative as
well as quantitative system performance features.

Section 5 presents each of the radiant panel options because evaluation of all radiant
heating system options is important to assuring selection of the system that best
suits the overall objectives and optimizes system performance. The goal of this section
is to familiarize the reader with the characteristics and features of each radiant
panel system. Once the system selection is made, the reader will proceed to Sec. 8.
Discussion will begin with electric radiant heating, because those systems are relatively
simple when compared with gas-fired and hydronic systems, which involve
combustion and fluid-flow control dynamics, respectively.The objective is mastery of
basic radiant design principles. The following chapters empower the reader to
develop input appropriate for inclusion of electric, gas, or hydronic radiant panel
heating systems in the selection process. The reader will be equipped to perform a
complete evaluation of system and equipment alternatives.

Fuel cost projection and analysis have become a more difficult input to the complex
process of system selection than has historically been the case. Fuel costs have fluctuated
widely, and significant long-term influences are emerging. The advance in
seismic and extraction technology has identified and unlocked oil and gas reserves.
Advances in gas steam turbine heat recovery, secondary combustion, and electric
power generation technology have increased efficiency from 30 percent to more
than 80 percent, using natural gas. (See Fig. 1.5.)

Computer, electronics, and programming technology advances combined with investment
in related transmission infrastructure and industry mergers, have vastly increased
the ability of electric utilities to route power to serve need.Vast energy trading
operations present new energy supply and cost management options for both utilities
and consumers.The economic practicality of less expensive, smaller generation facilities
designed for intermittent and peak power generation is another important factor
to be considered in electricity cost and availability analysis projections.

The dramatic advances in electric power generation efficiency are being incorporated
into new and existing generation...