When we decided to build a house I wanted to make it as eco-friendly as possible.
This meant investing in some non conventional ways to power and heat our home.
I did a lot of research ahead of time so that I would sound knowledgeable when talking to contractors. The easiest thing to have installed were solar panels on the house. Because we would be living in a new development most of the old growth trees had been removed allowing us to take full advantage of the sun’s energy throughout the year. These panels would supply most of the daily energy used in the house without much of a problem. The issue came when I told my HVAC dealer that I wanted to look into a geothermal heat pump to supply my home with warmth in the winter. I didn’t realize that I would need to install a back up furnace to heat my home during the long winter months too. Apparently these heat pumps work great to a certain extent but due to the extreme cold and the length of time it sticks around they are not a sufficient source of warmth. The dealer explained that they are used more in areas of the country that have moderate weather rather than extreme hot or cold. Those areas where the temperatures rarely fall below freezing during the year can take full advantage of the heat pumps because the ground does not tend to freeze at all. Although I was disappointed he did tell me that the furnace that I was going to have installed could be powered by the solar panels and that it was rated highly for low emissions.
