5 Environmentally Friendly Heating Options
You’re taking steps to recycle, reuse, and compost, but are you looking for even bigger ways to make your home greener? Switching to a more environmentally friendly heating option isn’t just a way to help the planet. It can also save you a lot on your energy bills. Unsure where to start? Read on to find some ideas for environmentally friendly heating.
1. Geothermal Heating Systems
Utilizing a heat pump, this environmentally friendly heating option uses the natural energy and temperature from the ground beneath you. This is already great for heating because the ground’s temperature will be warmer than the outside air.
Are you concerned that a more environmentally conscious heating option won’t be as efficient? Well, you don’t have to worry. Geothermal heating is also an incredibly effective system.
Geothermal heating doesn’t rely too much on fossil fuels, nor does it use a lot of electricity, unlike some less environmentally friendly heating options. Using less electricity will help the savings from your lower utility bills really add up.
The one hesitation people may have is that this system can be pricey upfront. However, it will end up paying for itself over its lifetime.
Before you commit to anything, you also might want to make sure that you have enough space to install the geothermal heat pumps. Contact an HVAC professional like Entek for more information.
2. Solar Power
This environmentally friendly heating option is especially great if you live in an area that still gets plenty of sunlight in the winter.
As with geothermal heating, the downside to this more environmentally friendly option is that it has a high up-front cost. However, once installed, you will essentially be getting free energy.
This system comes in two different forms. There are hydronic collectors, and then there are solar air systems. Hydronic, as you may have guessed from the name, heats liquid. Meanwhile, solar air is closest to a traditional HVAC system.
Consult a professional HVAC service to see which option would work best regarding your current HVAC system. Figuring this out can help you save on that up-front cost. For instance, if you already have a forced-air system, then the solar air system is going to be much easier and less expensive to install.
For an environmentally friendly cooling system, you can choose solar power as well. Look into the hybrid solar air conditioners.
3. Pellet Stoves
These are a more environmentally friendly option than the traditional wood stove. They are also more efficient. Instead of burning wood, pellets are a renewable fuel made from reused waste and switchgrass. Another option is to use sawdust. In addition to being better for the environment, these resources are also easy to find. And pellets are smaller, easier to use, and take up way less space than a pile of wood.
Like all environmentally friendly heating options, this saves you money on your energy bills. But pellet stoves are also just more inexpensive to operate in general. The pellets are affordable as well so you won’t have to worry about not being able to stock up.
Another advantage of a pellet stove is that it’s quite easy to install. So, unlike some of the other heating options out there, the up-front cost isn’t as high.
One thing to note is that the size of your house can affect this option. If you live in a home that is over 1,500 square feet, it may be recommended you install two pellet stoves. Or if you want to keep a traditional heating system as well, one pellet stove can be your way of relying on that less.
4. Radiant Floor Heating
This type of heating system, sort of like geothermal heating, is all about bringing the heat from the bottom up. But it does so in a different way. Instead of using the earth, this option uses the floor to warm your home.
So, as you likely expected from the name, this heating system is installed under the floor. There are two options for radiant floor heating. One is by using hot water, which heats the floor through tubes. The other option is via electric wires. The hot water option is more expensive, but it’s also even better for the environment.
As with all of the above environmentally friendly heat systems, you’ll quickly find that radiant floor heating is much more effective than your traditional system. The more effective a system is at warming up your house, the less you’ll need to spend on energy.
Radiant floor heating also comes without the little things that can make other systems a hassle. You won’t have to worry about changing any filters. And it’s a very quiet system, far removed from a clanking, noisy radiator.
5. Air Source Heat Pumps
Geothermal heating isn’t the only environmentally friendly heat pump system. The main difference between these two is, of course, that this one uses the heat from the air instead of the ground.
This environmentally friendly heating option won’t take up much room. It uses two heat exchanger coils, one outside and one inside. The heat from the outside air gets condensed and goes through the indoor exchanger coil and into your indoor air.
The air source system also works for environmentally friendly cooling. The process is reversed in the warmer months, with the indoor heat being released outside so your home cools down.
Air source heat pumps are better for the environment because this system does not need to burn any materials, and you won’t have to worry about fossil fuels.
It’s also much more effective than a traditional heating system. In fact, some have proven to be many times better than your standard electric heating system.
Still unsure which of these environmentally friendly heating systems is best for your home? That’s when our team at Entek can come in to help. And for installation, routine maintenance, emergencies, and more, look no further. Entek technicians have been providing excellent, top-rated service to the Pacific Northwest area for over 75 years. You can find more information on our website.
