Renewable Heating: The Choice Of The Future

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by: James Copper
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Word Count: 423
Date: Tue, 17 May 2011 Time: 10:42 PM
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The term "renewable heating" refers to any type of heating system which uses a source that has the capability to replenish itself. This is opposed to sources like fossil fuels, which are still found in great quantities but are ultimately finite.

The most well-known and widely-used source of self-renewing energy for heating is the sun. Solar power has been around for years, but relatively new advances in the design and manufacture of solar cells have made them cheaper to make and more efficient to use. The heat which is produced by solar energy can be used not only to heat homes and businesses, but can also provide the electric energy needed to heat the water used in these buildings and to provide air-conditioning when the temperature is high. This source of power is not only virtually limitless, but it creates no pollution.

Another popular source of heating that is replaced virtually as it is being used is geothermal energy. This method utilizes ground source heat pumps to transfer the heat energy that is in the soil itself into a home or business when it is cold and to draw away heat when it is hot. A ground source heat pump can be installed nearly anywhere. This type of heating is valued for being energy-efficient, quiet and clean.

A related type of heating is a direct exchange or "DX" system. It is also geothermal, but uses copper piping filled with a refrigerant to exchange heat with the ground. This system is so efficient that it requires the installation of less tubing than a standard geothermal system and is thus cheaper to install.

Wind power can be used as a source of heating as well. Modern wind generators have grown to be more efficient than the ones that were around thirty years ago. Nevertheless, large "fields" of these generators are still needed to produce enough electric power to be used on a grand scale, and there are still a lot of people who object to the visual impact this has on the landscape. In addition, many locations have problems with inconsistent wind or not enough wind. These problems notwithstanding, there are many coastal and mountainous regions where the wind is fairly constant, and acceptance of this totally free source of renewable energy would still allow it to be widely used.

It has also been proposed that these systems be combined to create hybrid forms of renewable heating. This concept may be able to be used to create systems which are even more efficient and reliable.

About the Author

James Copper writes articles on various Renewables subjects where you can find help and advice on how to become a renewable heating installer