2020 Alton is pursuing a LEED rating of Platinum. It will be the first home in South Florida that we know of to achieve this status.
| 2020 will utilize Photovoltaic solar panels | |
| The main key to solar energy usage of course is the sunlight but the solar photovoltaic (Solar PV) cells and systems that are used to collect that energy are a very important part of the system as a whole. A single photovoltaic panel can produce enough electricity to power a roadside telephone or sensor system for lights. |  |
| Urban Green Energy Wind Turbines |
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Dual-Axis Technology (DAT) UGE has developed and patented a revolutionary new dual axis design that eliminates the main Quiet At UGE we believe a wind turbine should be seen but not heard. Fortunately, UGE wind turbines |
| GEOTHERMAL HEATING AND COOLING |
Our Geothermal Heat Pump systems are the most energy and cost efficient systems on the market and therefore the greenest technology for heating and cooling. The technology uses the relatively constant temperature of the earth (thermal energy) to provide heating, air conditioning and hot water. Ground and water temperatures, 6 feet below the earth’s surface, stay relatively constant throughout the year.
This allows the system to provide extremely efficient heating or cooling all year long in virtually any climate. Sometimes the term “environmental comfort system” is used to describe a geothermal heat pump. This happens because a heat pump absorbs or rejects heat from the earth and has absolutely no impact on the environment.
Operation Modes of a Heat Pump:
Cooling Mode - In the COOLING mode, the refrigerant, a hot gas, is pumped
from the compressor to the water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger via the reversing valve. Water, generally with an antifreeze, flowing through the water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger removes heat and the hot gas condenses into a liquid. This liquid then flows through a metering device to the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger coil.
In evaporating into a gas, the liquid absorbs heat and cools and dehumidifies the air that passes over the coil surface. The cooling cycle is completed when the refrigerant flows as a low pressure gas through the reversing valve and back to the suction side of the compressor.
The fluid from the water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger is pumped to the ground loop heat exchanger where it transfers the heat to the earth. The cooled fluid then flows back to the unit.
Heating Mode – During the HEATING mode, the refrigerant, a hot gas, is
pumped from the compressor to the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger coil via the reversing valve. In the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger coil, the heat is removed by the air that passes over the coil surface, and the hot gas condenses into a liquid.
The air is circulated to the space and provides heating for the house. The refrigerant liquid then flows through a metering system to the water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. When evaporating into a gas, the liquid absorbs heat and cools the water. The heating cycle is completed when the refrigerant flows as a low pressure gas through the reversing valve and back to the suction side of the compressor.
In the winter the fluid in the ground loop extracts heat from the ground, raising the fluid temperature and circulates back to the heat pump into the house.
Well Water System
This type of design is only possible if there is sufficient ground water available in a well, a
lake or river in the area. The water must be of good quality. Local codes may limit the use of
this system in certain areas. The system is open which means that water is pumped directly
into the geothermal unit and then discharged either into a return well or a body of water. The water quality remains unaffected.
