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CNET
a day ago
- CNET
What Size Heat Pump Should You Buy for Your Home?
It's summer, and that means your home is going to need cooling if you want to stay comfortable as the temperatures rise. Although you could add a few of the best window air conditioners to cool down your home, but a good heat pump system might be the better option for you. It's always a good idea to keep an eye on the thermostat, but choosing the right technology can make it even easier to maintain the perfect temperature. Heat pumps can be a great option for homeowners. They offer a few benefits -- they're up to 50% cheaper to run than standard central air conditioners, according to the US Department of Energy. They're also useful in both hot and cold weather. If you're among the 78% of US adults stressed out about energy bills, as found in a recent CNET survey, you would do well to pick the right heat pump. If you want to get the best out of a heat pump, it's crucial to choose the right size for your home. You should avoid spending money on a pump that's too powerful for your needs and needs more energy, or one that's too weak for your needs and needs to run harder to keep up with the space. So how do you pick the right one? We've got all the answers to your questions, below. The importance of finding the right size heat pump It might seem like the size of your heat pump isn't that important. After all, what's the worst that can happen if it's a bit too small or too large? You might be surprised to learn just how important it is to find the right size. Having a heat pump that's either too small or too large can result in unnecessarily high energy costs. If your heat pump is too small for your home, it likely won't work properly. You could end up paying higher heating and cooling bills because the heat pump will struggle to heat and cool your home. Because the heat pump has to work harder to get your home to the right temperature, you can also expect to pay higher repair and maintenance costs. On the other hand, oversized heat pumps will produce more energy than you need, which wastes energy and reduces efficiency. Google's Nest Thermostat is a steal at $130 Google's Nest Thermostat is a steal at $130 Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 2:21 Loaded : 4.21% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 2:21 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Google's Nest Thermostat is a steal at $130 How to size a heat pump There are a couple of different methods you can use to find the right size heat pump for your home: Manual J and square footage. We'll discuss each of those in further detail below. Manual J Manual J calculation is the industry standard of sizing a heat pump. It was established by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America to help determine the proper size heat pump for your home based on eight different factors. The eight factors that Manual J considers are: The local climate, including how many days per year you need heating and cooling Your home's square footage and layout How many windows you have and where they're located Your home's air filtration The insulation quality in your home How many people live in your home Your preferred temperature Heat-generating appliances in your home Square footage There are a lot of factors that go into calculating your heat pump size, and it can be complicated to determine how each of those affects your heat pump needs. Luckily, there's a simpler approach you can take to choose the right size heat pump. In general, every 500 square feet of your home will require one ton of air conditioning capacity. Here are some guidelines to help you determine how many tons you'll need: 500 square feet: 1 ton 1,000 square feet: 2 tons 1,500 square feet: 3 tons 2,000 square feet: 4 tons 2,500 square feet: 5 tons 3,000 square feet: 6 tons It's also important to know what each ton equals in BTUs, or British thermal units, which is the measurement used to determine heat pump sizing. Use this chart to help you determine the BTUs needed for your home: Heat pump size guide undefined Home size (in square feet) Heat pump size (in tons) Heat pump size (in BTUs) 500 square feet 1 ton 12,000 BTUs 1,000 square feet 2 tons 24,000 BTUs 1,500 square feet 3 tons 36,000 BTUs 2,000 square feet 4 tons 48,000 BTUs 2,500 square feet 5 tons 60,000 BTUs 3,000 square feet 6 tons 72,000 BTUs Once you know the appropriate number of BTUs required for your home's heat pump, you can start shopping for the right one. Remember that you can also work with an HVAC expert who can help offer some guidelines and advice. The bottom line Finding the right heat pump size for your home is critical when it comes to saving money on energy and keeping your home at the right temperature in both the winter and summer. Sizing your heat pump may seem difficult at first, but it's actually pretty simple to figure out. And luckily, there are plenty of heat pump sizing calculators available online to simplify the process further. And once you know what size heat pump you need, the process of finding the right one should be a breeze. Keep reading to learn more about heating and cooling your home:
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
L&T secures land in Gujarat for green hydrogen, ammonia projects
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Tuesday said it has secured a land in Kandla, Gujarat for development of green hydrogen and green ammonia projects. The government is actively promoting green hydrogen as a clean energy source, with initiatives like National Green Hydrogen Mission and pilot projects focused on its use in transportation. Addressing the shareholders, company's Chairman & Managing Director S N Subrahmanyan said L&T has made significant advances in emerging clean energy segments, particularly green hydrogen and small modular reactors (SMRs). Electrolyser manufacturing is already in progress, giving the company a first-mover advantage in Green Hydrogen, he said. "A landmark development was the regulatory approval from US Department of Energy for the transfer of SMR technology to India. With L&T figuring among the only three eligible Indian companies for this, this signals the formal start of our SMR journey empowering us to lead the commercialisation of nuclear energy in the country. Although we set off with global partners for both green hydrogen and SMRs, our long-term goal is to develop proprietary technology, manufacture core equipment, and deliver cost-effective, innovative solutions tailored for emerging markets," he said. Land has been secured in Kandla, Gujarat, for manufacturing green hydrogen and green ammonia units, he said adding that L&T is also capable of executing EPC projects in green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol globally. Earlier, Larsen & Toubro had announced the incorporation of L&T Green Energy Kandla Pvt Ltd for the development of green hydrogen projects. Hydrogen produced through the electrolysis of water and powered by renewable energy, is known as green hydrogen. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AFP
12-06-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Closed Kazakhstan test site misrepresented as 'Pakistan nuclear facility'
gear emerging from hillside tunnels have been shared in posts that falsely claim they show US officials inspecting Pakistan's Kirana Hills -- a vast rocky mountain range that The photos in fact show visitors to the now-closed Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan. "Members of the US Department of Energy were seen near Pakistan's Kirana Hills which were hit by India on May 9," reads the caption of images shared in May 13, 2025, alongside the hashtag "NuclearLeak". The post's three images show people wearing face masks and protective gear emerging from tunnels that have been cut into the side of a hill and a structure built into the landscape. They were shared after India and Pakistan agreed a ceasefire on May 10, bringing to a halt four days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks between the nuclear-armed neighbours (archived link). The fighting was touched off by an attack on April 22 in the Indian-administered side of Kashmir that killed 26 tourists, mostly Hindu men, which Delhi blamed on Islamabad. Pakistan denies any involvement and has called for an independent probe. also speculated about whether the location had been targeted. Image Screenshot of the false X post, captured on June 10, 2025 Similar posts were shared elsewhere on But India has denied that Pakistan's nuclear facilities were targeted during the countries' most recent conflict, with Air Marshal A.K. Bharti telling reporters they "have not hit Kirana Hills" (archived link). Islamabad's foreign office separately dismissed media reports alleging Pakistani nuclear facilities were compromised during the conflict, leading to radiation leaks (archived link). And, responding to a query from the Indian Express, the International Atomic Energy Agency refuted reports of a radiation leak from any nuclear facility in Pakistan (archived link). Closed Kazakhstan test site Reverse image searches on Google found the three images used in the false posts were in fact taken at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, where 456 nuclear tests were conducted over 42 years until Kazakhstan shut down the facility on August 29, 1991 (archived link). The photo of people wearing face masks emerging from a tunnel was taken from an August 2012 blog titled, "Visit to the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site" (archived link). According to the blog poster's biography, they work as a nuclear engineer and use the platform to share their nuclear-themed travel experiences. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the photo posted in the August 2012 blog (right). The image of people in protective gear walking out of a tunnel can be found in a press release issued by the Kazakhstan government in 2021 for a photo exhibition dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the photo used in the Kazakhstan government press release (right) The final image of a structure built into the landscape was sourced from an ABC news article titled, "The Polygon: Former Soviet Union nuclear test site on Kazakh Steppe now open for tours" (archived link). The image is captioned, "An underground bunker used to monitor Soviet era nuclear tests". Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the ABC news photo (right) AFP has debunked other false claims related to the recent conflict between India and Pakistan here.
Business Wire
11-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Fervo Energy Drills 15,000-FT, 500°F Geothermal Well, Pushing the Envelope for EGS Deployment
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fervo Energy today announced the successful drilling and logging of its Sugarloaf appraisal well, an operational achievement that demonstrates the rapid advancement and scalability of enhanced geothermal systems ('EGS'). The well was drilled to a true vertical depth of 15,765 feet and is projected to reach a bottomhole temperature of 520 °F after full thermal equilibration. Fervo completed the Sugarloaf well in just 16 drilling days, representing a 79% reduction in drilling time compared to the US Department of Energy baseline for ultradeep geothermal wells. Fervo completed the Sugarloaf well in just 16 drilling days, representing a 79% reduction in drilling time compared to the US Department of Energy baseline for ultradeep geothermal wells. Share While drilling what is Fervo's hottest and deepest well to-date, the company was able to achieve multiple drilling performance records, including a maximum bit run length of 3,290 feet, a maximum average rate of penetration ('ROP') of 95 feet/hour, and an instantaneous ROP of over 300 feet/hour at depths greater than 15,000 feet. These results expand the window for commercial viability of EGS into a significantly deeper and hotter regime, paving the way to deploy the technology outside of the western US. In parallel, Fervo has obtained an independent geothermal reserves report from worldwide consulting firm DeGolyer & MacNaughton for Cape Phase I. This comprehensive technical and economic evaluation of Fervo's development plan provides external verification on Fervo's ability to deliver contracted clean energy volumes to customers including Shell Energy and Southern California Edison. DeGolyer & MacNaughton's independent estimates of heat-in-place and reserves involved a comprehensive review of Fervo's drilling data, geologic models, and production test results. The report highlights that Fervo's proprietary EGS design successfully unlocks thermal recovery factors in the range of 50 to 60%, tripling the amount of useful thermal energy reserves compared to conventional geothermal technology. The report confirms that the Cape Station project area can support over 5 GW of development at depths of up to 13,000 feet. The new Sugarloaf drilling results are expected to increase Cape's resource potential even further. Various geothermal resource evaluation and grid modeling studies – including recent reports by the US Geological Survey, Princeton University, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory – have now aligned that there are hundreds of gigawatts of opportunity for geothermal deployment in the range of 10,000 to 20,000 feet and 400 to 600 °F. 'Back in July 2020, we performed our first EGS field trials at reservoir temperatures of around 300 °F,' said Jack Norbeck, CTO and co-founder of Fervo Energy. 'In just a few years, we've developed innovations that enable our technology to operate reliably at temperatures exceeding 500 °F. These drilling results demonstrate that Fervo is operating in the optimal geothermal conditions for large-scale commercial deployment.' As US power demand accelerates - driven by AI, electrification, and grid reliability needs - Fervo's ability to unlock firm, carbon-free energy from heat reservoirs miles underground positions it as a core contributor to the American energy mix. About Fervo Energy Fervo Energy provides 24/7 carbon-free energy through the development of next-generation geothermal power. Fervo's mission is to leverage innovation in geoscience to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy. With breakthroughs in horizontal drilling, fiber-optic sensing, and advanced reservoir engineering, Fervo is making geothermal scalable, competitive, and ready to meet growing global demand. For more information, visit
Sustainability Times
06-06-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'Reactor Has a Mind Now': U.S. Nuclear Plants Given Digital Twins That Predict Failures Before They Even Exist
IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have developed advanced digital twins for nuclear reactors, enhancing safety and efficiency. for nuclear reactors, enhancing safety and efficiency. 🔍 Built upon graph neural networks , these digital twins offer rapid and accurate predictions of reactor behavior under various conditions. , these digital twins offer rapid and accurate predictions of reactor behavior under various conditions. 💡 The technology has been successfully applied to both the Experimental Breeder Reactor II and the new generic Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor. 🔧 Digital twins enable continuous monitoring and proactive maintenance, potentially leading to lower operating costs and paving the way for autonomous operations. In a groundbreaking development, scientists at the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have introduced advanced digital twins for nuclear reactors—a transformative technology that promises to enhance reactor efficiency, predictive maintenance, and overall safety. Built upon the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, these dynamic virtual replicas simulate physical reactors, enabling unprecedented improvements in operational capabilities. With these digital twins, scientists can now monitor and predict the behavior of reactors under various conditions, paving the way for more efficient and safer nuclear energy production. This article delves into the technology's intricate details and its potential to revolutionize the nuclear energy landscape. Harnessing the Power of Graph Neural Networks The digital twin technology developed at Argonne is underpinned by graph neural networks (GNNs), a state-of-the-art AI framework adept at processing complex, interconnected data. These networks are uniquely suited to replicate the intricate systems within a nuclear reactor. By preserving the layout of reactor systems and embedding fundamental physics laws, GNN-based digital twins offer a robust and accurate replica of real systems. This capability allows for rapid predictions of reactor behavior under various conditions, significantly outperforming traditional simulation methods. Rui Hu, Argonne principal nuclear engineer and a key figure in the project, emphasizes that this technology marks a significant step towards understanding and managing advanced nuclear reactors. 'Our digital twin technology enables us to predict and respond to changes with the required speed and accuracy,' he states. The ability to swiftly simulate different scenarios enhances the reactor's operational readiness, ensuring that safety protocols are always one step ahead of potential issues. 'Ukraine to Restart Nuclear Power in Chernobyl': This Shocking Mini-Reactor Plan Sends Global Shockwaves Through Energy and Safety Circles Proven Success with Experimental and New Reactor Designs The Argonne team has successfully applied their digital twin methodology to both historical and new reactor designs. A notable application was the creation of digital twins for the now-inactive Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II), which served as a crucial test case for validating their simulation models. Furthermore, they have extended this approach to a new design, the generic Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (gFHR). This successful application highlights the versatility and reliability of their technology. By leveraging vast datasets from Argonne's System Analysis Module (SAM), the AI models are trained to predict reactor behavior swiftly. The trained model can make accurate predictions based on limited real-time sensor data, supporting better planning and decision-making. The speed and accuracy of GNN-based digital twins are remarkable, significantly reducing the time required for simulations and potentially lowering maintenance and operating costs. 'Russia Deploys Floating Nuclear Beast': New 75-Megawatt Reactor Powers World's Largest Icebreaker Through Arctic Fury Ensuring Safety and Operational Efficiency The implications of digital twin technology for nuclear reactor safety and efficiency are profound. These digital replicas can continuously monitor reactors, detecting anomalies and suggesting changes to maintain optimal safety and operation. This proactive capability is expected to lead to significant reductions in maintenance and operating costs, providing more reliable predictions by understanding how all reactor parts work together. Argonne's digital twin technology offers numerous advantages over traditional methods, fostering a deeper understanding of reactor dynamics. By simulating various operational scenarios, the system can recommend adjustments to prevent potential issues before they arise. This level of foresight is crucial in ensuring the smooth operation of nuclear reactors, ultimately contributing to a safer and more sustainable energy future. 'China Moves Decades Ahead': World's First Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactor Set to Eclipse U.S. Efforts by 2030 The Future: Autonomous Reactor Operations The potential future applications of digital twin technology are vast and exciting. Beyond immediate safety and efficiency improvements, this technology could enhance emergency planning and enable more informed real-time decision-making by operators. Perhaps most intriguingly, it could pave the way for autonomous reactor operations. The development of such capabilities utilized the processing power of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), a DOE Office of Science user facility, underscoring the collaborative effort required to advance nuclear technology. As the nuclear energy sector continues to evolve, this innovation represents a significant step forward in the development and deployment of advanced reactors. By ensuring they operate safely, reliably, and efficiently, while reducing costs and extending component life, digital twins hold the promise of transforming how we harness nuclear energy. What does the future hold for the integration of AI-driven technologies in other critical sectors? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.4/5 (20)
