What are the  4 Alternative Home Heating Options

Many energy costs are on the rise and homeowners are looking for ways that they can save money without making their home any less comfortable. During the cold winter months, this means finding alternatives to building-wide climate control systems, and here is a closer look at four of the most efficient home heating options being used today.

Ground-Source Heat Pump

A ground-source heat pump is going to have a relatively high price tag when it comes to the installation, but it could also repay the investment in as little as five years. Fluid runs through underground coils to pull in ground heat which is then channeled through a pump within the home. A prominent feature is the fact that the heat pump will also draw out heat from the home during the warmer summer months.

Passive Solar Heating

As an alternative to a home heating option addition, passive solar heating is the process of redesigning the materials of the home. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the four pillars of passive solar heating are insulation, window location, thermal mass location and an auxiliary cooling unit. As much as 30 percent of the home’s temperature is dependent on the positioning of the sun, and the building’s ability to collect and retain heat through window placement and the materials around the windows.

Propane

Propane has become popular as a heating source due to findings released by the EPA. For those that are looking to reduce the carbon footprint of their home, propane has now been categorized as a non-contaminant for the local environment. As a heating material, propane heaters work at up to 95 percent efficiency while the efficiency of traditional oil burners can be as low as 80 percent. You can find residential propane suppliers in PA and across the US.

Solar Room Heater

Much like a passive solar heater captures and collects the sun’s heat by design, a solar room heater is a single addition to a home specific to a small livable area. Solar room heaters come in a wide variety of designs and can be as little as a few inches across or as large as a sun-facing wall. They typically contain metal piping that collects the heat from direct sunlight in empty chambers and directs the heat to indoor coils.

Home and business owners no longer need to feel as if their only option for heating is pumping materials out of the ground. These new options are not only better for the earth, they can also save a little money in the process.