3 Alternative Heating Sources for Your Home
A majority of North American homes utilize forced-air heating, with boilers and radiators being the foremost common alternatives. Naturally, newer furnaces and boilers are more efficient than their older counterparts. consistent with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the most recent high-efficiency furnaces have an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of a minimum of 90 percent, meaning 90 percent of the fuel used is converted into heat. In contrast, older heating system systems have an AFUE value of 56 to 70 percent.
Because of the potential efficiency improvement, homeowners may qualify for special financing through PACE with Ygrene to assist cover the upfront costs of upgrading to a more efficient heating method. PACE or property assessed clean energy programs can also help with the prices of putting in or retrofitting energy-efficient alternatives to traditional heating system sources. Curious to ascertain if your home qualifies for financing through Ygrene? Click below to urge approval within but half-hour , meaning you'll be heating your home more efficiently sooner instead of later.
To help you opt what makes the foremost sense for you and your family, here are five alternative heating sources to think about for your home.
1. Geothermal Heat Pumps
Geothermal heat pumps believe consistent underground temperatures to efficiently heat a home during the winter. counting on a home’s location, the temperature underground is between 45°F (7°C) to 75°F (21°C) throughout the whole year – often warmer than winter surface temperatures. the hotter underground temperature may make geothermal pumps more efficient than air source heat pumps, which must first warm cold air from the surface .
The price of a geothermal heating plant is bigger than a comparable air source system because the installation process involves drilling a hole within the ground or placing heat-transferring coils during a nearby body of water. However, the DOE claims that a geothermal system will cover the value difference in five to 10 years. The geothermal equipment features a lifespan of 25 years.
2. Pellet Stoves
Once the appliance of choice for home heating, wood stoves are making a comeback of sorts because of higher-efficiency, cleaner-burning pellet stoves. a number of these units are even powerful enough to heat a whole home. The “pellets” that give this appliance its name are usually made from a wood-based compound that has other organic materials like corn husks or maybe nut shells. consistent with the DOE, pellet stoves are the cleanest solid fuel heating option on the market. These stoves also are easier to put in than traditional fireplaces or wood-burning stoves. When buying a pellet stove, it’s important to settle on the right size stove for the residence.
Pellet stoves are available many various sizes, which may produce heat at rates between 8,000 and 90,000 BTU per hour (enough to heat a whole home). the disadvantage of pellet stoves is their maintenance requirements: you'll got to fill the stove daily, clean it weekly, and have it professionally cleaned annually.
3. Solar Heating
There are two sorts of solar heating: active and passive. Passive solar heating relies on solar gain, where solar heat passes through windows and/or skylights and provides heat for the house . the warmth are often retained with an absorbed and thermal mass. In a home, the absorbed is just a floor cover , like tile, and therefore the thermal mass is that the floor underneath (and/or walls) that retain heat (cement or masonry). Passive solar heating can work as a supplemental gas supply to plain heating systems. Installing skylights and south-facing windows can improve solar gain and, in turn, lower heating costs.
Active solar heating is a smaller amount common and is additionally usually used as a supplement to plain heating system . A solar dish uses the sun’s heat to warm liquid, or sometimes air. The heated material is then stored or transferred on to the living area, either with a blower or a radiant heat system.
