4 ms·

I believe you - I'm saying do it! A $500 device that would provide an efficiency jump from 60 to 90% would be a big seller - and would mean that billions of peo

by ljf 3y ago

I believe you - I'm saying do it! A $500 device that would provide an efficiency jump from 60 to 90% would be a big seller - and would mean that billions of people across the world wouldn't need to upgrade their boilers, saving billions in costs and fuel. Sounds like a great startup

blagie 3y ago
That assumes I'm not doing something more important right now! I think it's probably worth doing, but I have a list a dozen long of better startups. The key risks around something like this as a startup are: 1) Regulatory and compliance. A lot of the reason things like this aren't adopted is here. I can point you to a dozen ways to build better homes which don't meet code which is written around things like inches between studs rather than structural integrity. 2) Dissemination. In order for something like this to be successful: (a) people need to know about it (b) installers need to know how it works. Most people have no idea what a heat exchanger is. 3) Fundraising. Building things is expensive, so this would be a raise in at least the single-digit millions to start an efficient production line. No one will fund you unless you've solved (1) and (2). To give an idea of how hard consumer ignorance is: I was working on a random home project. I could find just one appropriate heat exchanger being sold in my local hardware store, with Panasonic's brand power behind it. The hardware store itself doesn't know what it is: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Panasonic-WhisperComfort-40-20-20-10-CFM-Ceiling-Wall-Energy-Recovery-Ventilator-Bath-Exhaust-Fan-for-Balanced-Ventilation-FV-04VE1/320160777 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Panasonic-WhisperComfort-40-20-2... Home Depot thinks it's a bathroom exhaust fan. It's an ERV, which is a super-fancy sort of exchanger which also exchanges / captures humidity. The manual says not to use this in a bathroom, kitchen, or similar since it literally doesn't work for blowing out humid air.... However, that's how Home Depot markets it. I can ship the best product in the world, and no one will buy it if they don't know about it or understand it. Pulling together a real business plan means thinking through problems like that. I can build this thing would be easy, at least for a good engineer. That doesn't mean one can make money doing so.

by ljf 3y ago

blagie 3y ago

That assumes I'm not doing something more important right now! I think it's probably worth doing, but I have a list a dozen long of better startups. The key risks around something like this as a startup are: 1) Regulatory and compliance. A lot of the reason things like this aren't adopted is here. I can point you to a dozen ways to build better homes which don't meet code which is written around things like inches between studs rather than structural integrity. 2) Dissemination. In order for something like this to be successful: (a) people need to know about it (b) installers need to know how it works. Most people have no idea what a heat exchanger is. 3) Fundraising. Building things is expensive, so this would be a raise in at least the single-digit millions to start an efficient production line. No one will fund you unless you've solved (1) and (2). To give an idea of how hard consumer ignorance is: I was working on a random home project. I could find just one appropriate heat exchanger being sold in my local hardware store, with Panasonic's brand power behind it. The hardware store itself doesn't know what it is: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Panasonic-WhisperComfort-40-20-20-10-CFM-Ceiling-Wall-Energy-Recovery-Ventilator-Bath-Exhaust-Fan-for-Balanced-Ventilation-FV-04VE1/320160777 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Panasonic-WhisperComfort-40-20-2... Home Depot thinks it's a bathroom exhaust fan. It's an ERV, which is a super-fancy sort of exchanger which also exchanges / captures humidity. The manual says not to use this in a bathroom, kitchen, or similar since it literally doesn't work for blowing out humid air.... However, that's how Home Depot markets it. I can ship the best product in the world, and no one will buy it if they don't know about it or understand it. Pulling together a real business plan means thinking through problems like that. I can build this thing would be easy, at least for a good engineer. That doesn't mean one can make money doing so.