How to Green Your Heating
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 11.11.06
What’s the Big Deal?
Consider that roughly two-thirds of a home’s annual energy use goes toward space and water heating, that in most American homes, winter heating is responsible for sending nearly four tons of greenhouse gases into the air each month, and that as much as half of all the energy used in the home is wasted. Efficient heating is starting to sound pretty good about now, no? Heck, we haven’t even mentioned the political implications of heating oil. Below, TreeHugger has compiled some tips to cheaper, greener heating, all of which are driven by the two fundamentals of a treehugging life—being more efficient, using less, and doing it in style.Guide Navigation
1. Seal the leaks!
Sounds dull we know, but heat loss is one of the biggest obstacles on the road to a comfortable home in the winter. Good thing that sealing those darn leaks—or draftproofing, to get technical—is a breeze. Plus, come summer time, good insulation will make it harder for heat to beat a path way into your home. All you need is a tube of exterior silicone caulk or insulation strips, which you can take to your windows, plumbing and wiring holes, doors and fireplace dampers. To find the leaks, light a stick of incense or a candle on a breezy day, close all the windows and doors, and wander around your rooms searching for places toward which the incense smoke drifts. Those are your target zones. For the space between your doors and the floor, consider installing a nifty, cheap door sweep on the bottom of the door (see “Where to get this stuff”). For information on more serious insulation projects, see the Dept. of Energy’s in-depth site.
2. Cover your glass
Installing clear plastic barriers or storm windows on your existing windows can cut heat loss by 25% to 50% by creating an insulating dead-air space inside the window. Storm windows cost about $7.50 to $12.50 per square foot. Exterior storm windows will increase the temperature of the inside window by as much as 30°F on a cold day, keeping you more comfortable.
3. Stay ventilated
3. The better you draft-proof and insulate your home, the more you’ll need good ventilation. Pollutants (especially from unflued heaters) can accumulate and excess condensation can cause mould and mildew to grow. Open some windows for a few minutes several times a day (cross-ventilate, if possible), rather than leaving a window partly open all the time.
4. Spread the heat
Who knew a fan could be useful for heating your home? Turns out that a well-positioned and slow-rotating fan can help ensure that heat from your radiator or heater doesn’t just drift up to your ceiling but spreads throughout your room, warming you toe to head. One great option is a heater fan, which sits atop woodstoves or gas room heaters and relies on a thermodynamic module to keep them running on heat alone (look ma, no batteries!).
5. Heating wisely
Heating the rooms to tropical temperatures isn’t just unnecessary, but uncomfortable. Throw on your most comfortable sweater and turn your thermostat down a few degrees. Each degree Celsius less will save about 10% on your energy use. And don’t forget to close doors to keep the heat contained in the rooms you’re actually using. Also, reduce temperatures at night, when you’re under the blankets. A programable thermostat might be your most effective weapon.
6. Peel a drape
Since most heat loss in your home occurs through and around the windows, draw your drapes, especially at night. During the day, leave north-facing windows uncovered in order to take advantage of the winter sun. If you can line your drapes with old bed sheets or other material, they’ll prove even more effective in cutting down on your heating costs. You can also buy insulating drapes, which incorporate layers of insulating material, a radiant barrier, and a moisture-resistant layer to prevent condensation.
7. Start a fire (but not like a caveman)
What are fireplaces good for? Gathering the family around, hanging stockings on, putting photographs on top of. And what are they not good for? Entering the house (unless of course you’re Santa), throwing trash into, and heating. Yes, heating. On average, fireplaces are only about 10% efficient. That is, about 90% of their energy is lost through the chimney, along with loads of your home’s warm air and energy dollars. As the Dept. of Energy says, they “should not be considered heating devices.”
But if you can’t resist the crackle and the glow, lower your thermostat to about between 50° and 55°F so your system doesn't keep trying to replace the warm air being lost through the chimney. Also, open the window nearest the fireplace slightly and close nearby doors so the fireplace won’t easily draw heated air out of the house. Installing glass doors on the fireplace, which can be closed when the fire’s dying or out, will prevent indoor heated air from escaping through the chimney, as will closing the chimney damper when the fireplace is not in use. Consider using EcoBrics http://www.naturbrennstoffe.de/, which, made of compressed sawdust, have the same energy value as brown coal equivalents, with one-third the water content and a fraction of the ash and sulfur emissions.
Some upgrades to consider are the EcoFire Super-Grate, which increases burning efficiency, an outdoor air intake, which cuts down on heat loss from your home, or a high-efficiency fireplace insert, offering stricter air control. (See “Where to get this stuff” below).
If you don’t use your fireplace at all, plug and seal the chimney flue. You can keep your family photos where they are.
8. Getting into (cheaper) hot water
Water heating is the third largest energy expense in an American home, typically accounting for about 13% of your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient water heater. To use less, consider aerating faucets, which enhance spray while minimizing water usage, repair leaky faucets, and opt for showers over baths. To insulate your heater, you’ll need blankets that shouldn’t cost more than $20 and will save you around 4-9% in heating costs. Remember not to cover the thermostat; if insulating your hot-water storage tank, don’t cover the thermostat, top, bottom, or burner compartment. See the DOE’s great page on the topic before insulating your heater, storage tank, or piping.
9. Be passive
So-called “passive” techniques earn their name from being unobtrusive, requiring little tending or cost. But they’re anything but passive when it comes to heating your home. Installing larger, insulated windows on south-facing walls and locating thermal mass, such as a concrete slab floor or a heat-absorbing wall, close to the windows, will help your home absorb solar heat with a minimum loss of inside heat. Keep in mind that for passive solar heating, the optimal window-to-wall area ratio is 25-35 percent. Ensure also that your south-facing windows are clean, and that objects do not block the sunlight from hitting concrete floors or other heat-absorbing materials. If you’re constructing a new home, make sure the longest walls run from east to west, allowing the sun’s rays to enter the home in winter, while allowing in as little sun as possible during summer.
10. Cuddle up
Or throw a get-together, and tell everyone to wear their coolest (no pun intended) sweaters. The more people in your home (or bed!) the hotter it is. Gather around the fireplace—but if you’re cold, think twice before actually lighting it up. No matter what, sweeten the deal with some hot cider or cocoa!
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1. Insulate your home
While many new homes are already well insulated, older ones are probably due for a repackaging. According to the Dept. of Energy, your home’s insulation hot spots are:
-- The attic, including the attic door, or hatch cover.
-- Under floors, above unheated spaces, around walls in a heated basement or unventilated crawl space, and on the edges of slabs-on-grade.
-- Exterior walls, when constructing a new house or remodeling or re-siding your old one.
Before you decide to go about doing it yourself, get a quote from a local contractor to see if that makes sense, or cents. The cost of the insulation material alone might be roughly the same as having someone do the entire job for you.
When retrofitting an older home, tearing up your walls to wrap your home in some standard batt insulation (fiberglass rolls) may not be an option. Expanding foam insulation or cellulose, which can be literally pumped into your walls, may be the best bet. While it costs 5-10% more than regular batt insulation, the expanding stuff can be installed neatly (by a contractor) within a few hours. As commenter Mike J. recommended to Lloyd, “A contractor simply drills a 1” hole, usually with a hole saw, so the plug can be replaced and re-plastered in, then lowers a tube through the hole down to the bottom of the wall and slowly injects the foam through the tube from a canister the size of a bbq propane tank. You … have a well-insulated house in 2-6 hours. The disadvantage is that with install it costs about 5-10% more than batting, and really does need to be installed by contractor or someone who has a precise understanding of the behavior of the product. It cannot be applied directly to old uncovered interior electrical wiring, (if the wires are stapled or just clamped to a stud in the wall. It needs to be modern wiring in conduit tubing or a heavy PVC jacket) as the added insulation may cause the old wires to overheat and present a fire hazard.” If you’re planning on some serious insulating, make sure to check out Don Vandervort’s HomeTips.
2. Go biodiesel
While biodiesel was previously overlooked as a heating fuel because heating oil was cheaper, rising prices for conventional heating oil have made the stuff more attractive. The National Biodiesel Board's website now lists about two dozen companies that supply biodiesel-blended heating oil, known as BioHeat, to residential customers, as well as a useful FAQ. Like biodiesel, Bioheat (which burns in any ol’ oil furnace) may be eligible for tax incentives in some states (like New York).
3. Install a firewall
If you crave a fireplace for a medium-to-small space (and live in the UK), the Esse Firewall not only promises 100% efficiency, but the gas-fired wall-mounted fireplace uses catalyst gas technology to clean the air it uses. And even when it’s off, the minimalist, framed fireplace looks hot. The price is around £700 in the UK, but there’s no word yet on dealers in the US, Europe or Asia. Buy online here.
4. Geo-exchange
Using 30-60% less energy, running quieter, and requiring less maintenance than typical HVAC systems, geo-exchange (sometimes called geothermal) systems use a loop of underground water piping to transfer heat from the earth below where its cooler to your home (in the summer, it’s cooler underground, so that this same process in reverse can serve to cool your home). It’s like an AC in principle, but much more efficient. While a 3-ton geo system at $7,500 compares with $4,000 for a traditional HVAC system (according to the Dept. of Energy), a geo system could save around $700/yr., paying for itself in less than six years, not even counting the lower maintenance costs as well as the government rebates and incentives available (thanks Mr. Electricity http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cooling.html). Over 1 million homes in the US (including George W’s Texas ranch) use geo-exchange systems, saving 9 billion pounds of CO2 per year. See our post about it.
5. Hit up the sun
If you have an unshaded, south-facing location on your property, heat water with electricity, and have high electric rates, a solar water heater may be a good option. The D of E notes that more than 1.5 million homes and businesses in the United States use solar water heating systems, and surveys indicate over 94% of these customers consider the systems a good investment. And over a 20-year period, one solar water heater can avoid over 50 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. When shopping for a solar water heater, look for systems certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation or the Florida Solar Energy Center. Tax credits or rebates may also be available. If you live in the U.S., check the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy Web site to see if you might qualify. See the DoE’s site on solar systems for more information. And check out this article (PDF File) from Home Power magazine for a run-down of the different systems available.
6. Upgrade your furnace or water heater
Installing a new furnace can be a headache and will cost anywhere from $1,700 to $3,500, depending on the complexity of installation. But the savings down the road could be tremendous. The latest models are required to turn 78% of their fuel into heat, but many new furnaces far surpass that. Before you get a new furnace though, make sure your old one can’t be improved by a few modifications or repairs. The Dept. of Energy offers a wealth of information on upgrading your furnace or boiler.
When it comes to upgrading your water heater, consider going tankless. Tankless gas water heaters http://www.ecotechhydronics.com/tankless_water_heaters.htm heat and deliver water almost instantly, translating to much less water wasted when starting your shower or turning on a faucet—and up to 30% savings on your water usage. Rinnai makes a good one http://www.rinnai.us/. Visit the Dept. of Energy’s useful site to review water heater options before upgrading.
7. Pellet stoves
Mixing the old-fashioned wood stove with cutting-edge biomass-burning pellet stoves are an extremely efficient heating option, producing very little waste and using inexpensive fuel. The pellets are generally made of a combination of wood chips and organic materials, and, depending on your equipment, you can make like Doc Brown (in Back to the Future, remember Mr. Fusion?) and burn waste materials, like grape waste, olive pits, almond shells, cotton-gin trash and hog waste, cutting down on shipping and distribution costs, and the requisite pollution that comes with it. With combustion efficiencies of 78%–85% (and heating capacities that range between 8,000 and 90,000 Btu per hour), pellet stoves are also exempt from United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) smoke-emission testing requirements. Though the cost ($1,700 and $3,000) can be steep, they’re often much easier to install than any other type of heater, since can be direct-vented and do not need an expensive chimney or flue. See Bixby Energy, which sells the stoves and pellets, and consult the DoE’s site. And see our posts here and here.
1. While a gas furnace is 16,500 times dirtier (more pollution) than a wood stove or furnace. produces only. A pellet stove is only 2,500 times dirtier. (Doesn’t sound like a reason to consider getting one, but it is!) And yet… 2. …CO2 emissions are reduced by 9 billion pounds (4 billion kilos) for every million homes using geo-exchange instead of traditional oil or natural gas heating systems in the United States. That would be the equivalent of converting about 600,000 cars to zero-emission vehicles, or planting more than one million acres of trees. The value of R Remember, the ability of insulation to resist heat flow is measured by a rating known as an R-value. While recommended minimum R-values for homes will vary by climate and may be affected by how a house is built and the type of heating used, here are a few rules of thumb: For mild climates, R-11 in the walls and floors and R-19 in ceilings below ventilated attics. For moderate climates, R-19 in the walls and floors and R-30 in ceilings below ventilated attics. For cold climates, R-19 in walls and under floors and R-38 to R-49 in ceilings below ventilated attics. For more specific recommendations by region, see the Dept. of Energy’s insulation site. TreeHugger has been a leader in promoting the green lifestyle and has numerous resources on how others have done just that. For more information, you can begin by checking out the archives section for your specific area of interest. Pellet Stoves Are Back (and Easier than Ever) Home Power's Solar Water Heating Overview Using Biodiesel To Heat Your Home (1, 2) The Dept. of Energy’s websites, Energy Savers
provides a nice and easy trove of information on home energy efficiency, with special sections on efficient heating and cooling
and passive techniques. DOE Home Energy Saver calculator. The DOE also provides state-by-state information on the U.S.’s Weatherization Assistance Programs and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs, which help low-income families upgrade to energy-efficient home materials. Real Goods offers some useful tips http://www.solareco.com/articles/article.cfm/id/70.
Consider that roughly two-thirds of a home’s annual energy use goes toward space and water heating
RMI says it's 1/2, not 2/3.
http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid171.php#LibHshldEnEff
I believe that 2/3 figure is heating, COOLING, and water heating.
remember that if you replace your boiler - replace it with a condensing boiler - this typically run at more than 100% effeciency!!! (yep, I know, I can't figure that out either!) - but if you slightly underspecify the size of boiler you need it will run at full power (which maximises it's efficiency.) One of the greatest wastes of fuel in domestic heating is over-specified heating systems. When the system is cycling on and off all the time it never reaches maximum efficiency and tends to burn fuel far less efficiently. Install a wood burning stove to compensate.
Another possibility for the hot water heater is to put it on a timer and reduce the number of hours it's running each day. The timers are at hardware stores, are about $30-40, and require either an electrician or some knowledge of electricity to install. It reduces use considerably-- hot water at those times when you usually need it, early AM or evening--you set when it comes on, up to three different times a day.
Note that tip #6 is directed towards southern hemisphere treehuggers. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, read "south-facing windows," as this is the general direction of the sun during the day.
Also, my family uses a type of wood burning stove designed by Thomas Jefferson (I believe?) which reduces heating costs by quite a bit. It's more efficient than a traditional in-wall design because it is made of iron and has more surface area as it is actually standing within the room on the hearth.
No. Condensing boilers do not run at more than 100% efficiency. As you say, it makes no sense. A proper condensing boiler converts 90% of the energy of combustion of the fuel to useful heat. For this reason when you put your hand over the exhaust of a condensing boiler the flue gases are almost cold. This is in fact a rough and ready test for how good your current boiler is - if the exhaust is hot then you're throwing good heat away - the hotter the exhaust the lousier the boiler - and you should consider replacing it. Replacing a boiler isn't cheap, but if your current boiler is 10 years you ought to be able to cut your heating bill by 20-30%.....
Your finger is the most energy efficient device in your house. With it, you can turn down the thermostat and turn off lights when you leave the room.
And, speaking of lights. Do you leave your outside lights on at night? The US wastes tens of billions of dollars annually on outdoor lighting. This equates to consuming hundreds of millions of barrels of oil and hundreds of millions of tons of coal.
The most efficient traditional method to heat water is with an On-Demand heater, such as those made by Takagi. If you want to get REALLY efficient, combine a solar pre-heat system with an on-demand heater that can sense the incoming water temp.
So the solar thermal system heats a storage tank as best it can. When you call for hot water, the on-demand heater draws water from the solar pre-heat tank and only turns on to the extent that is necessary for the temp you want. Sunny day, most of the time the heater will never turn on.
This is analogous to a solar electric system that is grid-tied. You only use power from the grid if you require more that the panels are generating.
If you actually crank the numbers, a national geothermal program would cut greenhhouse CO2 way more than wind power can ever hope to achieve. Yet wind power is the fave of all city dwelling politicians and eco-types. Geothermal plus better building codes could make a real difference. Too bad the USA is spending billions subsidizing ways to make more clean power like wind, and not a penny on what really works, - conservation - which is all the things this article is about. Remember that North Americans use over twice the energy of Europeans, so the energy solutions are different here - we have more to gain from conservation.
A Carbon tax is a real solution to the current mess of pork barrel policies.
Re # 5 - "And don’t forget to close doors to keep the heat contained in the rooms you’re actually using." Most residential heating systems in the USA are forced air. At night, if you close your bedroom door to "keep in the heat" you are blocking the path of the air to the return of the furnace. This is unwise in terms of proper mixing of air, but also potentially dangerous. If portions of the house go to a negative pressure, this can draw in contaminants into the air. Although, a thermostatically controlled space heater in a bedroom at night may prove to be more comfortable and efficient than using your whole house heating system improperly.