Energy-Efficient Heating Systems For Your Client
Posted on: 8 July 2020
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EPA regulations and independent energy groups both campaign for workers and consumers to acquire energy-efficient materials and production services. Indeed, these low-energy alternatives can benefit anyone from residential home-owners to large factories as the decrease in energy consumption generally lowers costs even accounting for possibly increased upfront costs. There are a variety of options you can present to your client, as a contractor, for energy-efficient heating.
Heat Pumps for High Efficiency
Heat pumps are by far the most efficient source of heating and cooling for homes available today. These electrically powered pumps work by channeling hot and cold energy from place to place as the season dictates. There are air heat pumps and geothermal pumps, which use the air and the ground, respectively, as an avenue for the release and capture of heat. Both capture and release the heat by continuously converting a refrigeration coolant liquid from gas to liquid form over and over again. The former releases heat into the air while the latter collects cold energy from the ground. However, these can have a fairly high initial cost that not everyone can afford.
A (New) Furnace
Furnaces are another option for your clients looking for better energy efficiency but without the disruption that heat pump installation can cause. These heat sources will use gas, oil, or even electricity to heat your home's air. Older furnaces are not as efficient as newer ones, and the cost-saving measure will depend on the type of furnace. For example, natural gas furnaces are the most efficient, but your client may be in search of energy efficiency for more climate-related reasons. Meanwhile, electrical furnaces are the least efficient but require no gas lines or oil.
When finding a new furnace, make sure to check the AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) rating applied. AFUE ratings indicate what percentage of heat created by the heating unit actually heats your client's home. For example, an AFUE rating of 90 means that 90% of all the heat going into the unit heats the air — the other 10% is lost. Boilers, which circulate hot water throughout pipes, are the least efficient form of heating overall, but if your client strongly desires a boiler then it is possible to find boilers with high AFUE ratings
The highest efficiency heating system for your client is a heat pump, whether air or geothermal, but furnaces are a good second, cheaper option. Boilers are the least efficient, but you can still find highly efficient boilers based on the APUE rating. Finally, it's important to properly install all the ducts and pipes so that no air leaks out, and your client must find professional help annually to keep their heating system efficient.