Alternative Forms of Home Heating Products

Passive Solar Heating

• Passive solar heating is usually provided for when designing the home, as the heating elements are incorporated into the building materials while constructing the house. Different parts of the house, like the walls, roof, windows and floors, are used to collect, distribute and store heat throughout the home. Sunlight enters the home through south-facing glass and is stored in the floors and walls as thermal energy. Another way the walls and floor capture thermal energy is by absorbing reflected or re-radiated energy. While the temperature is high, the heat is stored inside the core of the walls and floors. When the temperature drops, the heat reverses its flow and is emitted from the walls and floors until the room reaches a comfortable temperature. The window must face the south side of a building because the north face receives little solar energy as a result of shading from the winter sun.

Hydronic Heating Systems

• Hydronic heating systems involve the use of hot water, or other forms of heated liquid, to warm the home. Hydronic tubes are usually installed within the concrete slab of the home or floor joist system. The water or liquid is heated in an energy-efficient boiler, and circulated throughout the home by a plumbing manifold system. The manifold system determines where to direct the appropriate temperature of liquid, based on thermostat readings.

Geothermal Heating

• Geothermal heating works by tapping into the heat stored within the Earth. A network of tubes running throughout the building contains some form of liquid, like water, anti-freeze or refrigerant. The liquid is routed underground through tubes, where it absorbs the heat from the Earth. The heated liquid is circulated through the home in a continuous circuit, heating the home.

Corn Stoves

• Corn stoves are used to effectively heat any interior space. This is a type of biomass or plant-based energy. The stoves work by burning cut kernels of dried corn, which are derived from kernels that were rejected by livestock feed manufacturers. Once the corn stove is installed in the home, the corn kernels are fed into the stove, producing heat for the home.