Heating Systems Of The Future

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Heating our homes in the future is almost certainly going to be done using renewable energy. Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural sources such as the sun, wind, air and geothermal heat.

Sun
Energy generated from the sun is called solar energy and this is the fastest growing sector of renewable energy. Solar panels are installed on roofs for best sun exposure. They work even if the sun is not shining. To effectively reuse the energy from the sun, solar panels are designed to capture the heat, storage the heat then release the heat.

To heat your home they work by collecting the heat from the sun to warm water which is stored in a hot water cylinder. You can also generate electricity to power your home and if you generate more than you need the rest can be sold back to the national grid. Benefits include the fact you will significantly lower your heating bills, you will be reducing your carbon dioxide emissions and also making money selling any unused energy.

Wind
To use wind as an energy source you need a wind turbine. It is a rotary device that uses large blades ...
... to catch the wind. The wind makes these blades turn with drives a turbine which generates electricity. There are two types of domestic-sized wind turbine one is a mast mounted which are basically free standing. Roof mounted and can be installed on the roof of a home. The stronger the wind the more electricity is produced.

The benefits of wind electricity for those living in the UK are that we have plenty of it! The UK has 40% of Europe's total wind energy and by looking at out weather it's easy to see why. You will be cutting your carbon footprint as wind energy is completely green and does not release any harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants. You can also sell and electric you don't use back to the grid.

Geothermal heat
Geothermal heat uses geothermal power for heating systems. Geothermal energy is heat which originates from the earth's core and is used in various ways. One systems of using geothermal energy is produced using hot rocks which are under the ground. Water gets pumped into this hot, crystalline rock using an injection well. The water flows through fractures in the rock which heats it. The water then is returned to the surface and used.

Air
Air source heat pumps work in the same way as a fridge except they use the air to convert it into usable heat. Most air source heat pump have four main components, an evaporator, compressor, condenser and expansion valve.

Air is drawn over the evaporator, the refrigerant soaks up heat from the air and converts it from a liquid to a vapour, the refrigerant is sent through a compressor, which pressurises and as a result pushes up the temperature of the vapour. This now provides a temperature that can be use in heating our homes.
Northern Gas Heating - the UK's local supplier of new Central Heating Systems offer
Solar Hot Water Systems and Air Source Heat Pumps.