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Alternative-Heating.com was born out of a question: How high must heating oil prices climb before consumers demand change? The sharp rise in interest for alternative heating methods would suggest that we have reached that point. The time to look for smarter, cleaner ways to heat homes is now. With systems such as solar heating, geothermal heating and alternative stoves becoming more affordable and available, many are turning away from fossil fuels, and toward healthier, more dependable energy sources.

Solar heating systems can be either passive or active. Passive solar heating relies on building design to collect and hold sunlight. Passive solar homes have large, south-facing windows and thermal mass surfaces. Thermal mass is an absorptive material such as tile, concrete, or even water, which collects and stores heat for later use. The thermal mass can be incorporated into flooring or walls. Active solar heating systems consist of solar collectors, heat pumps, exchangers, storage tanks, and controls to gather, transfer, and disburse heat throughout a home, like in a parabolic solar steam boiler, for instance. Active systems rely on electricity to move the gathered heat from the solar collector through the home. Both alternative heating methods use a completely renewable source (the sun) to provide warm air and hot water to homes. No harmful emissions are produced, and significant monthly savings can be seen with implementation.

Geothermal residential heating systems use the Earth's heat as a source of warmth for homes. Because the temperature of the Earth remains constant just below the surface, underground piping can be installed with a fluid to absorb the heat. The fluid is then pumped into the home where a heat exchanger extracts the warmth, and a fan then distributes the heat throughout the home. This alternative heating method is extremely quiet, safe, and very efficient. Existing ductwork can be used, making this an ideal system to retrofit into any home. Like a solar heat system, the heat source for a geothermal heating system will never run out, and is readily available at any given time.

Alternative stoves using corn, wood, and wood pellets have recently seen a huge rise in popularity as people seek alternative heating methods that can support local industry and that aren't imported from abroad. Wood and corn can be grown locally, and are a much more affordable commodity than heating oil, or even natural gas. Although many people install these stoves to supplement existing conventional heaters, often the alternative stove provides enough heat for the entire home. Many of these stoves are direct vent systems, meaning that no additional venting system or chimney is needed. One major advantage that alternative stoves offer is convenience. Because they range in size and capacity, a stove can be found to fit in most rooms of any home. The fuel is easily stored, and the stoves are effortlessly controlled with thermostats.

Competition among alternative heating companies is driving prices down, and making companies more motivated to please their customers. The federal government is even lending a hand, and offering certain tax credits for the purchase of solar heating systems, and geothermal systems as well. It is time to take advantage of the superior systems available, even if that means taking an unconventional approach at heating and cooling your home. Everyone stands to benefit.

Environmentally Friendly Heat For Your Home
Hamptons.com
By Anne Halpin Southampton - Even though we've had a fairly mild winter so far, we've still got to heat our homes. With the price of heating oil skyrocketing, it might be time to consider alternative ways to heat the house. Solar panels are expensive …

How Even Alternative Energy Could Threaten the Planet
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Whatever you use energy for, it almost all ends up as waste heat. Much of the electrical energy that powers your mobile phone or computer ends up heating the circuitry, for instance. The rest gets turned into radio waves or light, which turn into heat …

Top Climate Scientist on Need for Clean Energy Action
CleanTechnica
Most proposed schemes to artificially restore Earth's energy balance aim to reduce solar heating, eg, by maintaining a haze of stratospheric particles that …

New home to be heated by non-fossil fuel sources
Glens Falls Post-Star
Kline and a crew of 16 are building a home off Shallow Creek Road, which will use solar and geothermal energy rather than a fossil fuel powered furnace. The plan within the next two years is for it to be a net-zero energy building, which means it will …

Geothermal expansion: North Dakota sees 26 percent increase in …
Dickinson Press
A geothermal heating and cooling system moves heat through a network of pipes, which are installed approximately 200 feet into the ground.

Couple experiments with alternative nighttime lighting, heating for a month
Montgomery Advertiser
"This black box (convection oven) is placed on top of the wood stove, and it gets up to 150 degrees," she said. "I've cooked sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, soup and stew. Everything is prepared without electricity." As 2012 began, so did Annie and Jay ...

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Related links:

The U.S. Green Building Council:
www.usgbc.org.

Staying Warm in an Unheated House:
University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Home Power Magazine - A reference about alternative heating:
www.homepower.com.

The Healthy Sense Directory - An excellent source of organized health information.

Home Remodeling and Improvement Center - Remodeling your home? How about looking at some home improvement ideas? Simply consult our free 5-step home remodeling guide for home remodeling plans and home improvement ideas.