The rising cost of heating their homes has led many to pursue alternative heating solutions. In fact, many are using alternative energy for all of their home’s energy needs and it’s saving them a lot of money. Alternative energy is also ideal because it is clean and environmentally friendly.
There are several alternative heating solutions available. Any one of them might be the answer that you’ve been looking for when it comes to inexpensively and efficiently keeping your home cozy all year long.
While some solutions to heating your home are relatively new and high-tech, there are some antiquated ways of heating that have become revamped and modernized for today’s homeowner. Just one of these alternative heating systems includes burning wood to keep your home comfortable. Now before you go get the idea to purchase an old-fashioned wood burner or install a fireplace in your home, you should know that today’s wood furnaces can be situated outdoors and pump heat into your home using your existing duct work. In addition to burning whole logs, you can also burn other types of energy in these furnaces such as coal or wood pellets.
Although not new, solar energy is just now gaining increased attention from homeowners looking for alternative heating solutions. Solar heating systems capture energy from the sun’s rays using solar panels and converts it into energy that can be used to not only heat your home but to perform all other energy functions as well. With solar energy, you can either choose to supplement solar power with your current energy choice or to convert your home to operate off of solar power completely.
A floor or hydronic heating system is also a great way to cut energy costs. This alternative heating solution uses a series of pipes that is laid underneath your home’s flooring. Warm water is circulated through these pipes to provide a radiant heat that warms your home from the ground up. Similarly a geothermal system heats your home by pumping warm water throughout a series of pipes or radiators installed in your home. What’s unique with a geothermal system, though, is that the energy to warm the water is extracted directly from the ground. You see, once you reach a certain depth, the ground stays a constant temperature of about 70 degrees. A geothermal system taps into this natural heat and uses it to heat your home. It can also be used to cool your home during the warm summer months.
Other alternative heating solutions include burning natural, renewable fuels that you may not have thought of. Fuels like corn, grain and rye burn very efficiently and create a great deal of heat for your home. And, unlike wood, these fuels can be grown right on your property and renewed every year. While wood is a renewable resource it is not as easily and quickly replaced as these other alternative fuels which is what will no doubt make these the alternative energy choice of the future.
