How Renewable Energy Can Lower Your Heating Costs This Winter
As the weather gets colder, it is time to start thinking about HVAC heating improvements. The heating for your home is one of the areas where you have a lot of options for energy-efficient improvements like solar power.
When it comes to the heating in your home, you may want a simple solution like biomass fuels. There are options for different systems that can be combined to provide your home with the energy you need. The following guide will help you get what you need for energy-efficient heating before winter.
Geothermal Heat Pumps for Energy-Efficient HVAC—The addition of a geothermal heat pump can reduce your winter heating costs. These systems use the thermal exchange from the ground to provide energy to heating and cooling systems. They can provide an energy solution for all your HVAC needs throughout the year. The geothermal heat pumps are loops of pipes or wells that supply thermal energy through the water or liquids that circulate through them. Some of the options for geothermal loops include:
- Open-Loops
- Closed-Loop Systems
- Closed-Loop Pond Systems
- Open and Closed Well Systems
These are the different geothermal loop options for your home's heating and cooling needs. If you have limited space, a well system is a good option to install a geothermal heat pump for your HVAC.
Solar Energy Integrated With HVAC—The HVAC system for your home can use solar energy solutions. These can be solar panels that provide electricity that powers components like fan motors, or it can be thermal energy. The thermal energy for heating comes from solar water heaters, which can be used for a heat exchanger. These systems provide thermal energy through water or another liquid that circulates through the collector. A heat exchanger can then use the warm liquids in a plenum with furnaces or energy for a boiler.
There are different types of solar water heaters that can be integrated into your heating. These include simple collectors and vacuum-tube systems. The vacuum-tube systems work better in cold climates and during winter weather, which is why they are the type of system that is usually used with HVAC systems. The circuit of pipes that are enclosed in glass tubes to increase the efficiency of the solar water heater.
Biomass Fuels for Household Heating—There are also biomass systems that can provide your home with the energy needed to keep you warm. These systems include furnaces, boilers, and pellet stoves, which can all be used to heat your home during the cold winter months. These biomass systems can use firewood and other organic matter that is compressed into pellets. The benefit of biomass fuels is that they all come from renewable resources. Biomass also costs less than conventional petroleum fuels. These systems are ideal for more rural areas due to fuel availability. If you are going to be installing a biomass heating system in an urban area, you will want to use a pellet or firewood fuel system because these types of fuel are widely available.
High-Efficiency Electrical Systems—High-efficiency electric furnaces are another option to consider for renewable energy systems that power your heating. These systems are designed to be highly efficient and ready to connect to energy sources like wind turbines and solar panels. If you want a more convenient solution for your energy-efficient heating, efficient electric systems that are solar-ready are an excellent option for your home.
Heating energy comes in many different forms, and there are some of the renewable energy resources that can improve your HVAC. Contact an HVAC service near you to talk to them about some of these upgrades for your heating.