With heating and cooling costs hitting the roof, many homeowners around the world have started looking out for alternate ways to heat/cool their homes. Traditional heating methods using oil, natural gas and coal can be detrimental for the environment as well. As such, the increasing demand for renewable, green heating solutions for homes has led to the advent of pellet stoves, solar heating, geothermal heating, hydro powered heating and wind powered heating, etc. Let us go through a few of these alternate, green heating solutions to choose the best option for our home.
Geothermal heating
This environmentally friendly heating solution makes use of the earth’s heat to heat up a home. This is done with the help of a geothermal system that is placed underneath the earth’s surface and simply transfers the heat from underground to the home. In addition to reducing your monthly electricity by nearly half, a geothermal heating system would increase your home’s resale value, considering the fact that several home owners are opting for green heating solutions nowadays.
Solar heating
A solar heating system can be a great investment for a home in the long run. The system makes use of the sun’s heat to power the home’s existing heating system. This form of heating your home is both energy efficient and cost effective to a great extent. Install a solar heating system, and you would never need to worry about heating your home again.
Pellet stoves
Pellet stoves offer a cost effective heating option that is environmentally friendly as well. These stoves are similar to traditional wood stoves. However, they use pellets made of sawdust, switch grass and other renewable waste products, and are extremely affordable. A single pellet stove can heat an area of over 1500 square feet. The stoves themselves also take up less room than wood stoves. Plus, you don’t need to worry about chopping and storing firewood ever again.
Biomass heating system
Biomass heating systems use the energy derived from living beings like plants and trees to create energy that is natural as well as renewable. Installing a biomass system in your home would allow you to heat up the latter in a clean and green manner. When compared to fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide when burnt, biomass systems release only carbon during operation, thus causing less harm to the environment.
Masonry heating system
A masonry heating system is typically a wood stove that burns wood to generate heat. However, a masonry stove is more compact than a wood stove and burns slower, thus requiring fewer supplies. A masonry wood stove would also trap the heat generated within the bricks of its chamber, thereby producing more heat as well as retaining this heat for about a day or so.
Green coal heating systems
We all know that coal is one of the most harmful substances on earth, thanks to the multiple greenhouse gases it emits when being burnt. However, recent research has led to the development of gasification, a process in which the carbon in coal is used to remove oxygen from water and produce clean, green hydrogen gas for fuel. The gas is then supplied to a turbine that generates electricity, which can then be used to heat up homes. The emissions from this gasification system are also pumped underground, thus adding more value to the process’ green technology.
Wind powered heating systems
Not many realize that even a small windmill erected in the front lawn of backyard can serve the purpose of heating up a home efficiently. Installing a compact windmill in your home means you can use the energy generated from the same to power up the heating system. In addition to being a very cost effective way to heat your home, a wind powered heating system will minimize the need for other kinds of fuel or energy to heat the home.
These green heating solutions will not only heat up your home efficiently, but also reduce your utility bills to a great extent.
