Showing posts with label green HVAC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green HVAC. Show all posts
Monday, January 31, 2011
Warm Up Your Home with Radiant Heating
Radiant heating is an emerging trend in new home construction and existing home remodeling. Radiant heating systems involve supplying heat directly to the floor or to panels in the wall or ceiling of a house. Radiant systems depend largely on radiant heat transfer: the delivery of heat directly from the hot surface to the people and objects in the room via the radiation of heat (similar to the effect you feel when you can feel the warmth of a hot stove top from across the room).Here's how radiant heating stacks up against other common heating systems:
The Advantages of Radiant Heating
Radiant heating has a number of advantages over other home heating technologies. It is generally more efficient than baseboard heating and usually more efficient than forced-air heating because no energy is lost through your home's ducts.
- Comfort: Radiant heating sends heat through coils hidden beneath the floors of your home. There’s no dust, no noise, no hot air blasting through unsightly vents in the floor or ceiling. Heat is evenly distributed throughout the house, virtually eliminating hot and cold spots.
- Safety: Nails, water, direct contact with the heating element—nothing interferes with the safe operation of a radiant heating system. Each unit is tested to industry standards and uses worry-free low voltage energy.
- Reliability: Radiant heating is practically maintenance-free and most elements are backed by a solid manufacturer’s warranty. There aren’t any moving parts to malfunction and most have self-diagnosing technology so small problems can be identified before they become big trouble. You won’t have to worry about yearly maintenance or service checks, either.
- Convenience: With fully adjustable and programmable thermostats, radiant heating systems let you set a temperature schedule that compliments your lifestyle. Just set it and relax!
- Efficiency: One of the most energy-efficient types of home heating currently available, radiant heating requires significantly less operating time than conventional heat systems to reach desired temperatures. You’ll spend less on heating and can help reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.
- Custom Design: Each radiant flooring system can be customized for your unique needs. Whether you want single-room floor warming in your tiled bathroom or whole-house heating under hardwood floors, you’ll find a radiant heating system to suit you. They can be installed under any surface and don’t require a furnace, boiler, vents, or ducts.
Radiant Heating vs. Hydronics
Hydronic heating uses hot water to warm floors, which then heat the surrounding room. Though they are similar to radiant heating systems, there are some differences.
Both hydronic and radiant heating use low voltage and are energy-efficient. However, hydronic systems present several considerations that don’t apply to radiant heating:
- Need gypsum or concrete slabs, costing $4.00 or more per square foot to install
- Need a boiler room or basement to house hot water controls
- Use only 65-85% of system’s energy, as heating strength fades the further hot water moves from the boiler unit
Radiant Heating vs. Forced Air
Forced air systems blow warm air freely around the room, allowing heat to rise up to the ceiling. This leaves floors and living spaces cold and releases dust and other particles into the air. In order to maintain a comfortable temperature forced air heat has to be set higher; this increases workload on the system and costs you more on your energy bills. Also, because radiant heat actually radiates through the room rather than being blown, rooms often feel warmer and heat feels more evenly distributed and consistent.
Related Heating Information from Horizon Services...
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Alternative Home Heating Technologies Have Arrived
The Future is Now for Home Furnaces and Heating Systems!As our world continues to contemplate the efficiency of existing heating technologies and more and more homeowners become concerned about depleting natural resources, especially fossil fuels, there have been several new innovations in home heating. Here we outline three of the leading alternative heating technologies.
Solar Panels:
Solar panels use photovoltaic cells to change sunlight to electricity. To use this technology effectively, a home needs a south-facing roof with a precise pitch so that the cells are exposed to maximum sunlight. While other heating sources like traditional furnaces and hybrid heating systems are still cheaper for most homeowners, solar panel heating systems are growing in popularity every year thanks to government subsidies and enthusiastic advocates.
According to one source, solar panel installation has increased nearly ten-fold since this time last year. For most homeowners, however, the cost of solar panel installation remains prohibitive. From start to finish, installation costs can run anywhere from $25,000 to more than $75,000 depending on geographical location and the size of the home. Even with government incentives and credits—which can often supplement almost half of the installation cost—it will take years for most homeowners to recoup the cost of initial installation.
Solar Furnaces:
Like solar panel heating systems, solar furnaces harness the power of the sun to heat your home. These devices work like a giant magnifying glass, concentrating sunlight on a single point to generate powerful heat. Highly reflective mirrors reflect the sun’s rays, creating temperatures up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit for a standard furnace and more than 3000 degrees Fahrenheit for larger units. This heat can be converted to energy capable of powering a variety of other applications. Surprisingly, solar panels provide more efficient heating for residential furnaces, and solar furnaces are more effective at powering other things like ovens and other electric appliances.
The cost of a solar furnace is hard to pin down exactly. A crude solar furnace can be put together for as little as $10, while large commercial systems can cost millions. At this point, there are few middle-of-the-road options for homeowners who want to explore solar furnace heating, though there are several solar-powered oven ranges currently on the market. It is expected that this technology will experience rapid growth and development over the next five to ten years.
Geothermal Heating Systems:
The most tangible and efficient source of alternative home heating comes from the ground. More than half of the sun’s energy is absorbed into the ground, where it creates a nearly constant temperature that can be transferred to your home. Currently, geothermal heating has a much brighter future than most solar heating options available right now. Geothermal heating is an attractive choice for new home construction and green renovations, as it is much more affordable initially than solar options and pays for itself in just a few years with increased utility savings.
Interested in Alternative or Traditional Heating Solutions?
Contact the heating professionals at Horizon Services, Inc. Our experienced Comfort Consultants can perform a FREE, no-obligation In-Home Energy Analysis of your home to assess your home's heating and cooling requirements AND recommend a variety of energy-efficient heating and cooling systems that will both maximize your comfort and reduce your utility bills.
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Friday, September 10, 2010
Green Home Heating
Alternative Home Heating Systems Offer Exceptional Energy EfficiencyThe green movement has spawned an entire industry full of products and services designed to help homeowners make upgrades and improvements that will benefit the environment and reduce their monthly utility bills. One of the best and most effective ways to green your home is with a quality, energy-efficient heating system.
Traditional furnace or boiler systems start with cold air and cold water that have to be heated up to comfortable levels and are then distributed throughout your home. Alternative units simply reuse air and water that has already been heated, circulating it through your home over and over.
There are several different types of energy-efficient home heating systems to choose from. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks, but a qualified professional can help you decide which is right for your home.
Solar heating uses specially-designed cells to collect energy from the sun that is then transferred to a holding tank. Water is heated in the tank and is then distributed throughout your home, providing heat.
Radiant floor heating is an increasingly popular option for many homeowners. Water is heated and circulated through special pipes below the floor. As the floor warms, heat rises and makes your entire home more comfortable.
Geothermal and recirculating hot water heating systems use warm water and energy-efficient pumps to distribute heat throughout your home.
Traditional heating systems require huge amounts of energy and the burning of fossil fuels to function properly. Alternative heating systems actually conserve energy by redistributing it through your home again and again. By capturing and reusing warm air and hot water, these eco-friendly heating systems don’t have to work as hard to warm the air and water inside your house. This results in substantial energy savings, reduced dependence on limited natural resources, and more money in your pocket.
While it’s true that these green heating systems cost a bit more than traditional forced air, boiler or furnace units, they bring a valuable return on your initial investment in just a few short years. Paying more up-front will result in major savings on your monthly utilities over time, and alternative heating systems generally last longer than traditional models, which saves on repair and replacement costs. And as the green building movement continues to gain momentum and utility costs continue to rise, homes with alternative heat sources are increasingly hot commodities for buyers. For current homeowners, that could mean more money for you when it comes time to sell.
Not all eco-friendly heating systems are the same, and not every system is right for every home. A trustworthy professional certified in alternative heating systems can help you navigate the complex world of circulating pumps, solar panels, geothermal heat exchangers, and radiant heat units. An experienced contractor will explain the types of systems that will work best for your home, help you locate the best quality equipment and supplies, and will see your project through from design to installation to teaching you how to use it properly. Taking your time with the process will ensure that you and your family can enjoy affordable, environmentally responsible home heating for years to come.
Related Green Home Heating Information from Horizon Services...
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Green Home Construction on the Rise
New Energy-Efficient Designs Now Represent 17% of All New Home ConstructionEven as home sales continue to struggle through this recession, green home building is one real estate sector that’s thriving.
According to recent data, more than 1 million homes have been certified by the government’s Energy Star program since it began in 1995 and more than 75,000 more were added in 2009 alone. In 2008, homes with the Energy Star rating accounted for almost 17% of all new single-family dwellings built, which marked a more than 5% increase from 2007.
The Energy Star label may be familiar to many consumers—the seal appears on all kinds of appliances and household electronics—but Energy Star home construction is a relatively new concept.
In order to receive the Energy Star seal of approval a home must be at least 20% more energy-efficient than similar new houses. Generally, Energy Star homes have more efficient lighting, insulation, windows, heating and cooling systems, and appliances.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification program is not the only one to report growth in eco-friendly home construction. There are also several private and not-for-profit organizations that certify green homes, including the United States Green Building Council and the National Association of Home Builders.
These private groups also report significant increases in green-certified new home construction despite an overall 30% slide in new homes built or completed by October 2008.
Nate Kredich of the US Green Building Council, a group whose rating standards are even stricter than those of the Energy Star program, says that the council’s number of certified homes has risen from just over 1,100 in 2008 to more than 3,000 in 2009. Though the increase is small, Kredich notes that growth has been steady and suggests that more and more homeowners are considering greener alternatives to traditional residential construction.
Kevin Morrow, from the National Association of Home Builders, echoes Kredich’s assertions. The NAHB certified just 99 green homes in 2008; in 2009, that number jumped to nearly 600. As Morrow suggests, the increased interest in green home construction is driven by consumers looking to save money on their energy and utility bills, and to reduce their impact on the environment.
And it’s not just new construction that’s going green. A recent USA Today poll showed that more than 68% of homeowners surveyed made home improvements designed to make their houses more energy efficient. Of those, nearly 72% said it was to save money on utilities, while almost 30% said the changed were prompted by concerns about the environment.
Regardless of their motivation, homeowners are clearly impacting the way new houses are built. Typical best-sellers are those products that pay for themselves quickly—like solar panels, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, or major appliances like dishwashers and light fixtures. Price is a key factor, as many consumers are willing to pay a little extra up front to ensure considerable savings in the long run.
As energy prices continue to rise and concerns about the environment reach the mainstream, most building experts expect green construction and renovation initiatives to increase in popularity. At Horizon Services, we believe it; our heating and air conditioning technicians are seeing more and more Energy Star certified homes in our Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland service area. Soon, we predict, these eco-friendly options may be the norm rather than just a passing trend.
Related Information from Horizon Services...
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