Alternative heating country house: a review and comparison of options

One of the main expenditure items of the family budget - the payment of municipal heating or purchase of fuel for heating homes. Every sensible landlord certainly think about the real and effective ways to reduce these costs. But you can literally cut them to a minimum, using alternative energy sources. What they are and how to use? Agree, it is worth learning.

All about how to arrange alternative heating private houses, you will learn from our article submission. With our help, you can easily decide on the most suitable option for you. A detailed description of the principles of action schemes "green energy" will provide an opportunity to decide how best to use technological means to produce heat.

The article describes in detail the types of sources of free energy, heat generation are the methods for use in the home. To help independent handyman and careful use of the owners of country estates attached photo selections, circuits, and very useful video instructions.

Pros and cons of alternative energy

From traditional heat sources for many years used for heating, can be dispensed with. It is surprising, but very real. Many ardent opponents argue the impossibility of replacing natural resources, environmentally friendly counterparts.

The alternative becomes solar, wind power, heat, hidden in the bowels of the earth, waste production and human life. Such variations are relevant in today's world, taking into account the overall environmental pollution.

Another significant advantage - tangible savings when using environmental sources of renewable energy spontaneously. At first glance it seems that it is unnecessarily expensive and unlikely to be recovered.

Thoroughly investigate with the peculiarities of each method, you can see that the eco project pays for itself over 4-7 years, and then there are only the current costs of maintaining the machinery used in the operation condition.

Ability to complete replacement of the usual fuel alternative proved not to be a real example. Homeowners have resorted to environmental heating options around the world. We have - only a few dare to radically change the usual fuel, rising in price every year.

The main problem of the use of eco-fuel - a significant investment in the initial stage. After all, you first need to thoroughly calculate the amount of energy needed for a particular house or cottage. Then find out what type of eco resources in the most profitable in a particular locality.

Next, you will create a layout of equipment that generates energy and buy everything you need to install.

If all these questions will deal with relevant experts, the final cost of eco heating will be very high. To save money, you can try to do on their own.

For this purpose it is to immerse your head in the topic of alternative energy sources, to desist from using outside help. In this case, the project cost will be much cheaper.

The second option is chosen, many owners of private houses. Their practice proves that becoming energy independent is quite real. You can completely or partially replace traditional fuel - it all depends on household size, financial capacity at the initial stage, the selected heating options.

The scope of "green energy" will show photo-selection:

Types of renewable sources for heating

For heating, you can successfully use wind power at home, the sun, the earth. As well as biofuels. Let us examine in more detail exactly how to do it and that this will require.

View # 1 - wind force

Very successfully as an alternative source for the heating of a country house, you can use wind energy. This resource can not be exhausted. He has the ability to be renewed. To use the power of wind, you need a special device called a windmill.

The principle of using wind energy

To convert wind power into an alternative heating source wind generator is required. They come in vertical and horizontal depending on the rotation axis. There are many vendors offering their customers the model.

The cost depends on the material, size and power of the unit itself. It is also possible to build a wind generator on its own, using the materials at hand.

Any wind turbine consists of the following components:

• blades;
• mast;
• weathervanes to capture the wind direction;
• generator;
• controller;
• batteries;
• inverter.

The principle of operation of the wind power installation is based on wind power, the rotating blades of a windmill. The blades are attached to the mast, located high above the ground. The higher, the better the performance. So, for the supply of a home quite a height of 25 m.

Rotating blades driven generator rotor. It starts generating three-phase alternating current, requiring further changes. This current is supplied to the controller, where it is converted to DC. It is used for battery charging.

After passing through the battery, the current is equalized and supplied to the inverter where it is to convert single-phase alternating current frequency of 50 Hz and a voltage of 220 volts. Now it can be used for domestic needs, in an electric heating system.

Features of the location of wind turbines

Wind installations are able to work under certain conditions. First, the wind turbine - the volume quite a building, requiring an impressive area for the device. A small device is not able to meet the energy requirements.

Its height should be greater than at least 10 meters around the house, trees and other buildings, and power lines and other objects must be located 100 meters from the windmill. This requirement is not always possible - not all owners of private houses have plots of land with sufficient space.

Secondly, the well when the considered area has good wind potential - hill or steppe zone. To start the generator require a wind velocity of 2 m / s.

Many models of wind systems, designed for use by private households, are able to fully meet the demand for electricity.

So, 1.5 kW wind turbine can generate per month, depending on the time of year, 100-200 kWh. If the mast height increase, the performance will be more than 2 times.

But this will require additional installation costs and consumables. The service life of wind farms is an average of 20 years.

Also on our website, there are other materials on the device and the different types of wind turbine, calculation and production of their own hands, and installation.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with them:

• Kinetic wind turbine: the device, the operating principle, the use of
• Wind turbines for private homes: types and characteristics of units, select the subtleties payback calculations + best deals
• How to calculate the wind turbine: a practical example of the formula + calculation
• Wind turbines with their hands out of the washing machine: assembly instructions windmill
• How to build a wind turbine blade to his hands: examples of self-production of blades for wind turbines

View # 2 - the energy of the Earth

One alternative is a geothermal heating system. It is based on the use of the Earth's energy. This ground heat, groundwater, ambient air, to convert heat pump (HP). It is important that the ambient temperature, the installation used, was above zero.

Structure and working principle of the heat pump

To operate the geothermal system need electricity used to transfer the generated heat. A heat pump, using 1 kW outputs from 2 to 6 kW of heat.

The basic principle of operation consists in the VTs heat gathering, converting it and further transmitted to the heating circuit. This is accomplished by a device of the device itself.

TH consists of 3 loops involved in the process generating heat for heating private houses:

• outer - intended for the abstraction of heat from the sources. According loop circulates an antifreeze or salt solution;
• Internal - filled with refrigerant, usually Freon;
• heating circuit filled with coolant.

Freon filling the inner contour, is heated by the heat coming from an external circuit. Having a low boiling point, it turns into a gas in a first heat exchanger - evaporator.

Then enters the compressor where it is compressed, resulting in a lot of heat, and the temperature of the gas itself repeatedly increased - up to 65 degrees.

Next Freon gas enters the further heat exchanger called a condenser where its heat reserves. Freon, parting with most of the heat comes under pressure in the blow-off valve. Here, the pressure drops sharply, and the refrigerant is cooled by taking liquid again enters the evaporator.

Heat left freon condenser heats the liquid circulating in the system of household heating. If in this system there is a device warm floor, it is possible to achieve the most efficient heating at low cost.

Make the simplest embodiment of the heat pump Easy own hands. This will require actually junk parts, cheaply purchased equipment and, of course, patience. Driving circuit system with thermal heat energy in the borehole wall, recessed in the dolomite.

Evaporator considered in the example system is connected to the ground takes energy well.

Specificity of the heat pump device for floor heating system is a photo gallery:

The feasibility of using TH

Heat pumps - TN, takes heat from the environment, are different. All depends on the type of environment that is used as a heat source and the fence type of coolant.

Accordingly, these types of isolated HS:

• air-to-air;
• water-air;
• water-water;
• ground-water.

The first two types of pumps used in the air heating systems, the latter two types - a liquid-cooled engines.

The most advantageous from an economic point of view is to use the heat pump 'water-water'. This embodiment is useful if located next to the house ice-water body, in which stacked heat pipe fence.

Heat pump produces 30 watts of heat from the pipe 1 m. Depending on the area of ​​private housing and energy needs will need to put the appropriate number of tubes.

Pumps using air, not replace traditional heating in regions with harsh climates. As for the heat, scoop out the soil, it is a very expensive project. Use horizontal geothermal field device, and vertical cluster drilling.

In horizontal embodiment will build a geothermal field to a depth greater level of freezing.. This size about 1.5-2 m is obtained such a field imposing - 200 m².

To implement vertical and cluster project will require the drilling of a considerable depth with the use of drilling rigs.

This is a very expensive service. Equipment of this type of heat pump is suitable for cottage owners do not think about the cost of the work. Heating, using heat from the earth, is able to fully replace solid fuel or gas.

The geothermal heating is most advantageous to use the device in tandem with a water "Heated floor". It allows you to get the optimum result.

Of significant disadvantages - large length of the pipeline for heat collection, expensive excavation work for the installation of the system, the need for a large space for arrangement of geothermal field.

View # 3 - solar energy

Solar energy radiated luminary all year round, is capable even in severe frosts become an alternative view for heating a country home. It is important to learn how to collect and use it in the heating system.

For the collection and conversion of solar energy used in solar panels of photoelectric converters and the collectors constituting the tubing filled with coolant.

The principal difference between these converters is that batteries produce current that can be used for electric heating of a country house. The collectors are also used in the system water and air heating. The most effective option - to equipment in the premises of the system of underfloor heating.

The belief that the sun is not able to cope with the heat the house, is only valid in the case of incorrect installation and erroneous calculations of the amount of required energy and heat. Optimally matched solar power plant is fully capable to provide heating.

Another question is that it would require to invest in the purchase of equipment, its installation and integration into the existing heating system.

Geliosistema on photoelectric converters absorbs solar energy, and silicon photocells immediately convert it into DC electric current. 1m² Fitting capable of producing 120 watts.

In addition to the panels that absorb sunlight and convert it be for solar heating systems set charge controller, inverter DC to AC and take care of security - to put circuit breakers.

The advantage of the panels - the ability to connect batteries to store energy surplus that can be used at night. A significant disadvantage of using helium batteries - their greatest efficacy in the southern regions. In harsh climates install them economically unfeasible for use as the primary type of heating.

Solar installation equipped with tubing, more suited for regions with cold winters and negative temperature. Depending on the structure of the panel and materials distinguish vacuum collectors, flat and hubs.

The most expensive of them - with vacuum tubes. But they are most effective in any season and any weather, in fact able to absorb a wide range of solar radiation. Another advantage of them - vacuum panels successfully operate at temperatures below freezing to -35 ° C.

The operating principle of the collector is that it captures the sunlight, which is converted into heat in vacuum tubes. Next it is transferred to the heat carrier, which delivers it to the heat exchange tank. Then the coolant is supplied to the heating system.

In more detail the best structure for the solar heating homes we reviewed our other article.

Type # 4 - biologically pure fuel

One of the most effective and available methods warm country house is boiler operating at a biologically pure fuel.

This kind of alternative uses for its heating operation waste products - hulls of agricultural crops, wood chips, sawdust and other by-products of the wood industry.

Of various waste makes dense compacted pellets small size - pellets that are burned in boilers. Compared to conventional wood is the fuel burns longer and allows you to get more heat.

Just make large dense briquettes different kind of vegetable waste. This allows the compressed fuel to receive 2-4 times more heat energy. Its calorific value is to 5.0 kW × h / kg.

For gas-fired boiler can use biogas. It is easy to obtain in the course of rotting organic waste. This will require to build a fairly lengthy tank, put it in the waste, the installation for mixing them.

Under the influence of air and bacteria and the putrefaction process gas evolution will occur. Be established pipeline for discharge of waste material. Also, gas collection in special containers, cleaning it and moving the heating system, it is necessary to use appropriate tools.

An environmentally friendly way of heating using an alternative source of heat - the hydrogen boiler.

The operation is based on its reaction between hydrogen molecules and oxygen, in which process a huge amount of heat. This kind of heating requires compliance with the rules of operation and safety.

The main drawback - the high cost of factory equipment. The way out of this situation is the hydrogen equipment in the home heating system.

For its operation will require a permanent connection to power and water sources, hydrogen burner, a hydrogen generator, and catalysts boiler itself. The heat produced by a chemical reaction, enters the heat exchanger, and as the waste - simple water.

To find out more about biofuels, we encourage you to read our other articles on this topic:

• Biogas plant for a private house with his own hands: recommendations on the device and an example of arrangement of homemade
• How to get biogas from manure: technology and equipment for the production of the installation
• Hydrogen heating boiler: the device working principle + + selection criteria
• How to make a hydrogen generator for the house with his own hands: Practical Advice on manufacturing and installation

How to save on the implementation of "green energy"?

After analyzing the financial component of the alternative heating types, you can come to the disappointing conclusion - will require significant funds at the initial stage.

Now, after 3-7 years, depending on the heating method will be apparent significant savings thanks to the non-volatile system.

Save on installation and use of alternative plants for producing heat as possible. Many handyman enthusiastic approach to creating their own hands unique instrument factory conversion of alternative energy.

So, quite simply and inexpensively you can collect solar unit from the hose, which will serve as an additional source of heating water.

Successfully gather in small home wind turbines improvised. Also lettered farmers living in rural areas, constructing a plant for the transformation of organic waste plant and animal origin into biogas.

In the future, it is used for the needs of the economy. Depending on the size of the tank for the fermentation of waste and areas of private house, fully able to meet household biogas to meet all needs.

Conclusions and useful videos on the topic

Videos about combining alternative sources to generate electricity in a small country house:

Video about the production of the wind turbine with your hands will help you easily understand the principles of the device:

A short video about the use of the heat pump:

Video clip of biogas:

To abandon the traditional heating sources, is quite real. To do this, you need to carefully choose the alternative or combine multiple, based on the characteristics of the terrain, the area of ​​his country house and the local area.

The energy of the sun, earth, wind force, recycling waste plant and animal origin are quite capable to become a worthy replacement gas, coal, firewood and electricity paid.

You use one of the alternative sources of energy for domestic purposes? Share how much it cost you to build installation and how fast it has paid off.

Or maybe some of your friends have arranged a holiday house in the renewable sources? Using solar panels or heat pump as an independent source to provide heat, hot water and electricity?

Tell us about this experience in the comments below the article - a good example would be helpful to homeowners, still doubt the reality of alternative energy.