Re: [Phys-l] modern light sources

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

I wrote:

> > > We should also keep in mind that in an office building of any
> > > reasonable size, there is no need for heating of any kind --
> > > not from heat balls, heat pumps, or anything else -- because
> > > the people and the office equipment produce more heat than is
> > > needed.  They have to run the cooling equipment year-round.

I seem to have overstated that a bit.  I stated the general 
trend, but there are exceptions.


On 01/18/2011 12:21 PM, Dr. Richard Tarara wrote:

> Not sure about this--certainly not in my 'neck of the woods'.  I can look at 
> our Science building which is regularly occupied by many more people than 
> would be in an office building, computers and the like in every office with 
> extra computers around the building, lab and office equipment running 
> constantly.  The building gets damn cold in the winter even though the 
> building is heated.  Now to be sure, all our lights are flourescent and the 
> building is not occupied (or barely so) in the evenings and weekends, but 
> then neither are most office buildings.  Maybe I've missed something earlier 
> in this thread though?

The density of people in the building isn't the only factor.

There is also a scaling law to consider.  Surface-to-volume
ratio and all that.  The St. Mary's science building isn't
exactly the size of the Willis Tower (fka Sears Tower).

Next to my desk I have a good book about scaling laws, by 
some guy named Galileo.

Also we're talking about a place where the high temperature
for the next week might not get above minus 5 centigrade
... not to mention the average temperature ......  Have
you considered moving to someplace balmier, like Helsinki?

Even given its size and location, I would have thought that 
with a reasonable amount of insulation, the science building 
wouldn't need much in the way of heating.  Hmmmmmm.