Recently, home renovations are occurring with sustainability, eco-friendly and alternative energy methods at the forefront. As the homeowner knows, most homes have central heating, whether that be a warm air system, radiator or a boiler. Unfortunately, these systems are not energy efficient, consuming copious amounts and making heating larger homes costly.

However, there are many options for alternative forms of energy and heating systems that are cost-effective while being environmentally friendly. Luckily, RenoQuotes.com has compiled a list, and offer some insight into the most efficient and common eco-friendly heating systems currently on the market!

Environmentally friendly heating systems for your home

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Biomass or Pellet Stoves

From an environmentally sustainable point of view, avoiding the use of fossil fuels is the overall goal. For this reason, a biomass stove is an excellent option for heating your home. Biomass refers to the wood material that is used in this heating system, a carbon neutral source of fuel, clean-burning easily renewable resources like switchgrass and sawdust. If you have a small home, one less than 1,500 square feet, this system can be used to heat one room with one boiler.

If your home is larger, it is recommended that a big biomass boiler is used, and can be connected to an existing hot water tank as well as radiators for centralized heating. Pellets take up much less space than wood and are easy to manage as well as being incredibly cost effective.

Further, the CO2 that is released into the atmosphere during the burning process equals that which is absorbed by plants during growth periods. Therefore, environmental balance is maintained. One downside to heating with a pellet stove is that electric blowers are used, which can be very noisy. As well, pellet stoves need to be hand filled, unlike pellet boilers which fill automatically.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems 

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A home geothermal system relies on naturally stable ground temperatures to keep your home warm during winter and cool during summer. Depending on the source this system uses for heating, it is divided into two groups: ground or air. One unit of electricity creates three heating units, and the underground temperature stays at 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

When a geothermal system, or heat pump, is installed, the pump circulates liquid through pipes that are buried in the ground. The liquid’s job is to respond to the ground temperature and move back through the heat pump. Geothermal heating systems use very little electricity and do not rely on fossil fuels, and thus, are kind to the environment. The air source system is more cost-effective than the ground source heat pumps, but the ground source pumps are comparatively more energy efficient.

Further, the ground source system is much more difficult to install. If you are interested in either the ground or air source energy-efficient heating solution, it would be worth speaking with a contractor to get a better idea of the specifics.

Active Solar Heating Systems

Although this system will not work in cloudy regions, if your home is located somewhere sunny and you receive hours of unobstructed sunlight even during winter and spring, an active solar heating system is worth considering. How this system works is by capturing heat from the sun, converting it through fluid, which is generally water or non-toxic glycol and then transferring it into the home where it is collected to be used later.

The heat can be distributed through the home in a variety of ways, including radiators, floor heating systems, hot water baseboards or central forced-air system. Make sure the accompanying system is also energy-efficient and friendly to the environment, otherwise you'll end up with only half a solution to the sustainability issue!

Hybrid Solar Air Conditioner

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Like the active solar heating system stated above, the hybrid solar heating system depends not only on solar power but also on batteries to run. This is a good option if you do not receive full sun throughout the year, but still have access to a decent amount. The heat and air conditioning system uses solar energy for power while also charging the system's batteries, and during times when battery backup power is needed, the batteries are charged by way of alternating current power.

Depending on the size, some of these systems can run off a single solar panel, making it an affordable and low-maintenance renovation job while still maintaining appeal by being environmentally friendly!