Eco Friendly Heating for the Home
As more people are becoming aware of the growing concern of global warming, so too are the demands for alternative sources of home heating. Most homes use electricity generated from nonrenewable fossil fuels and the concern that we will run out well before we are totally ready to switch to renewable resources has become a hot issue. Fortunately, that need not be a concern for you as an individual because there are effective ways to creating eco friendly heating in your home.
The most popular renewable resource for home heating is solar powered panels. The cells within the glass panels absorb the Sun’s energy and transform it into electricity using photovoltaic technology. The beauty of solar heating is once it everything is installed, the price for heating is zero! This can be a tremendous savings considering how much energy it takes to heat a home. The disadvantage is the initial costs of the panels and the installation is a bit pricy, but there are also government programs that offer discounts and rebates to energy conscientious citizens.
Another option is geothermal heating which comes from the heat from the center of the Earth. A special heat pump, ground source heat pumps (GSHP) is used to direct the geothermal heating safely into your home. The main advantage to this renewable source of energy is it provides both heating and cooling, thus saving you money year round. The difference is how you use the GSHP. For heating your home, you would set the GSHP to allow the exterior coil to be the evaporator and the interior coil acts as the condenser. For cooling purposes, you simply switch the functions of the exterior and interior coils.
If the thought of heat from the Earth’s center seems a bit intimidating, you need not worry. Only a limited depth is necessary and temperatures ranging between 45 degrees and 75 ºF offer plenty of energy for your heating and cooling needs with a 1:6 ratio. One unit of the Earth’s heat = six units of heat use can use for your home.
The primary disadvantage again is costs. However, the initial costs returns to you in energy savings and adds value to your home. This is especially attractive when it comes time to sell your home. Having a GHSP in your home can be a great selling point.
A lesser known alternative approach to heating your home is using a pellet stove. Before electricity became common in every home, people used coal or wood burning stoves in order to generate heat for cooking. However, particularly regarding coal stoves, lots of harmful fumes were inevitable and dangerous. Wood was a safe source, but did not last as long as coal. The pellet stoves solved both issues. Coal, a nonrenewable source, is no longer necessary for heating the home and sawdust or wooden pellets burned much longer and released less carbon dioxide than conventional wood stoves. The other advantage is minimal space needed for storing the pellets and sawdust.
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