Crack up your (green) heat know-how Did you know that nearly 60 per cent of Canadians use a forced-air furnace to heat their homes, while 30 per cent use electric heat sources? According to Statistics Canada, natural gas and electricity were the most common types of energy used in 2007, accounting for 80 per cent of all energy consumed by Canadian households. But there are more eco-friendly ways to heat your home this winter. Pellet stoves are the new darlings of eco home heating. They are inexpensive to install as many don’t require ventilation, so there’s no need for a chimney. They burn little compressed wood pellets that are cheaper to buy than firewood or even electricity, and best of all, they are a resource that can be renewed easily. Some burn corn or nut shells as well. Pellet stoves do require electricity, to keep the fan motor running. But that cost is small compared to other forms of electric heat. Eco fireplaces might just sound too good to be true. Not only do they burn a clean and renewable resource known as liquid bio-ethanol, but they’re easy to install and look quite stylish. The heat is efficient because the fireplaces are flue-less so all of the heat stays in the room. They come in a variety of styles, including fireplace inserts that you place in your traditional fireplace, and modern-looking, portable pieces of “fire” furniture. Here’s the catch: while these eco fireplaces are good for room or spot heating, they can’t replace the kind of whole home heating you get from a furnace. Geothermal energy or ground-source heat pumps capitalize on the constant temperature of the ground or of a nearby water source such as a pond or lake. Geothermal systems work with a heat pump unit that’s connected to a loop of piping buried at a depth of six feet or more. Water and antifreeze circulating through the piping absorbs the heat from the ground and takes it back into the house. The opposite occurs in summer when the system draws on the earth’s lower temperatures to cool a house. A heat exchanger draws energy from the liquid in the pipes to either heat or cool the home. Solar home heating is perhaps the granddaddy of eco home heating as its long history will attest. Passive solar technology relies on the sun’s rays and doesn’t require mechanical or electrical devices. A good example of this is sunlight that lights or warms a room. Active solar technology employs pumps and fans to transfer the sun’s power to where it’s needed. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems consist of solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity to power your home. While this does require an initial investment, there are a number of programs that can help reduce the cost of the system. Radiant heat is an interesting alternative to gas or electricity and it is also an ancient form of heating. Using invisible electromagnetic infrared waves, it doesn’t heat the air, it heats objects that come into contact with the rays, like a bathroom floor. Once it heats up, it radiates heat to other objects in the room. Other examples of radiant heating are fireplaces and fireplace inserts, wood stoves and portable electric heaters. Knowing about these home-heating methods won’t necessarily turn up the heat on your real estate practice, but it will increase your eco capital while earning you a few brownie points. There’s nothing like enlightening clients to have them extolling your virtues to family and friends.
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 23:07:29 +0000