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Home Heating: Getting Techie
The value of R
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.
Geothermal (or geo-exchange)
Using 30-60 percent less energy, running quieter, and requiring less maintenance than typical HVAC systems, geothermal or geo-exchange 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). Over 1 million homes in the U.S. (including George W’s Texas ranch) use geo-exchange systems, saving 9 billion pounds of CO2 per year. TreeHugger has more info about it.
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 our pellet stove buying guide, and consult the DoE’s site. And see TreeHugger's posts introducing pellet stoves and following up on them.
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