Living in an energy-efficient home in Missouri is the best thing you can do for the planet and your wallet. Most traditional heating systems consume a lot of energy and release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. If you’re looking to upgrade your heater, below are some of the eco-friendly options you should consider.
Geothermal Systems
Earth is an unlimited source of energy. The deeper you go from the surface, the hotter it gets. The amount of heat you need for your house doesn’t require you to dig that deep. Geothermal systems are engineered in a way that they can harness enough heat energy from 6 to 300 feet deep below the surface. The depth depends on your specific location, the amount of space you have, and the type of system you choose.
Geothermal systems are eco-friendly for three main reasons. First, the Earth’s underground temperatures remain relatively stable throughout the year (around 40°F to 70°F). This means that your system will never struggle or work harder to do its job even when the temperatures drop to the extreme; heat is always available for it to harness.
The second reason is that geothermal systems don’t generate heat like traditional systems. Instead, they move heat from the ground and transport it to your indoor space. The amount of energy it takes to transfer heat pales in comparison to what it takes to generate it.
Third, since geothermal systems don’t burn fossil fuels, they barely emit carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and other harmful gases into the air. You can even find systems such as binary-cycle geothermal plants that emit absolutely no emissions.
Other advantages of geothermal systems include low repair and maintenance costs, a longer lifespan (over 50 years), and improved safety. You may also get tax credits from the government, which can offset some of the operational costs.
Solar Heating Systems
Residential solar heating systems convert sunlight into energy that you can use to heat your indoor space or water. The sun is never going to run out of energy any time soon, so as long as it’s up in the sky, you can harvest its rays and put them to good use. You can do this either passively or actively.
Passive solar technology uses a home’s design to collect, store, and release the sun’s energy when needed. It has five core elements. The first is the collector, a large glass area through which sunlight enters your house. The collector must be free of any shades and face within 30 degrees of true south to allow in as much sunlight as possible throughout the day.
The second element is the absorber. It’s a hard, darkened surface, usually a wall, floor, or water container, that sits in the sunlight’s direct path. The third is the thermal mass, located behind or below the absorber, which stores the heat gathered.
The fourth element is a distributor, which could be a fan or duct that circulates solar heat throughout the house. Finally, you have an electronic sensing design or shade to control the amount of heat getting into your home.
Active solar technology uses panels with photovoltaic cells that can convert sun energy into electricity. You can then use the electricity generated to heat your home or water.
Solar heating systems don’t produce any emissions that could harm the environment. They also don’t consume any extra electricity to heat your house; they only use what they produce. These features make them the most eco-friendly option you can install in your home.
Hydronic Heating Systems
Hydronic heating systems use water as their vessel of heat transfer. Water has a high “specific heat capacity” when compared to air. In simple terms, it takes more energy to raise or lower the water temperature than air. This means water is capable of storing significant amounts of heat for extended durations. This characteristic alone already makes them more energy-efficient than forced-air systems.
The most popular hydronic heating system is a boiler. It typically uses natural gas to heat water before supplying it to your radiators, underfloor pipes, and hot water systems. Eco-friendly hydronic heating systems use solar and geothermal energy instead as their source of fuel.
Biomass Heating
If you live in a rural setting and have access to organic matter such as animal waste, agricultural residue, wood chips, or pellets, you can reduce your carbon footprint by installing a biomass heating system. A biomass boiler burns crop residues, discarded wood, and woodchips to make heat that you can transfer to your indoor space.
Contact Swiss Air Heating & Cooling, LLC for More Information
If you want to reduce your carbon footprint and monthly energy bills, call Swiss Air Heating & Cooling, LLC in O’Fallon, MO today to discuss the best eco-friendly option for your home, like heat pumps. We can install your chosen system and help maintain it over the years to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness. You can also reach out to us for other services, such as air conditioning repair, water heater installation, and indoor air quality solutions.
