When planning your new energy-efficient home, it makes good sense to choose a central heating system.
A primer on central heating systems
A “central heating system” is any system that produces heat at one point, and distributes it throughout a home. Common central heating systems include:
- Furnaces, which distribute heat as warm air through ductwork;
- Boilers, which distribute heat as hot water through piping. Boilers are used with radiators, hot water baseboard heaters or hot water in-floor heating systems; and
- Heat pumps, which distribute heat as warm air or hot water.
Furnaces and boilers can be fueled by natural gas, oil, wood or electricity. Heat pumps can be geothermal or air source systems; geothermal systems draw heat from the ground while air source systems draw heat from outside air. Electric baseboard heaters are not central heating systems.
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Why choose a central heating system?
The biggest advantage of a central heating system is that it can be easily converted from one fuel to another. This convertibility protects a homeowner from price swings by enabling a switch from one energy source to another if market conditions change. Convertibility also allows a homeowner to switch energy sources if a new fuel such as natural gas becomes available in their area.
Conversely, electric baseboard heaters virtually lock a homeowner into electric heat – and electricity rates – for the life of the home. Any homeowner wanting to switch away from baseboards would need to install an entirely new heating system at considerable cost.
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Today’s most efficient and environmentally friendly heating options require a central system
A central heating system is a key to improved efficiency and minimized environmental impact. Natural gas, oil, wood and geothermal energy are the most efficient and environmentally friendly home heating options available today.
In comparison, electricity generated from oil and coal is one of the least efficient and least environmentally friendly heating options a homeowner can choose. Electricity is less than half as efficient as other heating options, and results in the production of two or more times as much climate-changing greenhouse gas. Electric boilers and furnaces are no more efficient than electric baseboard heaters, but they do have the advantage of being convertible to non-electric fuels.
For environmental responsibility, improved home comfort and protection from fuel price swings, central heating systems are today’s best choice.
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