Alternative Home Heating Options
You have reviewed your heating bills and have made the decision: no more. Once you have decided on changing to an alternative heating option, you need to begin the process of determining a budget and type of alternative heating source that will work for your household.
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Budget
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Converting or installing an alternative heat source for your home can be a great expense. Fortunately, most of the options come with tax incentives and financing programs to make it attractive and feasible. Review your monthly bills and talk to local contractors about how much you can save monthly on your energy bills. For some people, simply heating their pool with a solar system can make monthly heating bills manageable. Look at monthly savings and determine how long it will take for the system to pay for itself. Installing solar panels cost approximately $750 per panel with most homes requiring three to four panels. Geothermal solutions can cost upwards of $25,000 and may not be feasible unless you are building from the ground up. Simple solutions, such as a woodstove or pellet stove that use renewable resources, are inexpensive and can fit into most home sizes and designs.
Types of Alternative Heating Sources
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There are many options to explore depending on the resources readily available to your home. With solar energy, you will need to have adequate sun exposure for a good part of the day--often this is ideal for locations with good southern exposure. A place like Seattle might not be ideal for a complete solar panel heating system. A geothermal unit takes the energy of the earth, such as steam, and harnesses it in one of three types of circuits (closed, open or pond) where energy is exchanged within the circuit to generate heat. Wind and water can be harnessed in areas where these are consistent resources and you have the space to install a system to harness it.
DIY Versus Professional Installation
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Part of the major expense with most alternative heat systems is the cost of installation. Certain projects can be done yourself with the purchase of a kit and basic home building skills. A stove that doesn't require extensive ventilation can be installed quickly and easily according to manufacturer instructions. Many solar kits can be installed perhaps with an electrician reviewing the work to make sure that you have connected everything the right way. For major projects, such as digging for geothermal energy or furnace replacement, consult a professional that is bonded and insured with a good reputation for doing good work at a reasonable price.
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