What Is The Best Renewable Energy Source For Irish Homes?
Home heating via fossil fuels is easily the biggest contributor to our overall carbon emissions, being responsible for a significant portion of the carbon footprint of every household. In order to meet our current net zero emissions target, we need to drastically bring down the level of emissions that are being created through home heating. This is where using renewable energy sources in the home can come into play.
What Are Renewable Energy Sources & Why Are They Important?
Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources are those that can be naturally replenished, such as solar power, geothermal energy and wind. By utilising these sources of energy rather than fossil fuels like gas and oil, we can substantially cut down on the carbon footprint created by heating without compromising on the comfort of our homes.
Using Renewable Energy Sources In The Home
If you want to utilise renewable energy sources in the home, you will naturally wonder which is the most suitable or best option out of those available. The answer to this question largely depends on your home and the technologies that are available to you.
In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the range of technologies available to help Irish homeowners use renewable energy sources in the home. You can expect to consider the following systems if you want to improve your carbon footprint and use the best renewable energy sources in your home.
Pipelife’s Top Solutions
Air Source Heat Pumps
Air to Water Heat Pumps can replace conventional boiler-based heating systems and significantly reduce the running and maintenance costs of heating your home. By drawing heat energy out of outdoor air – even in cold weather – and passing it through your wet central heating system, a heat pump system can power your home heating with minimal environmental impact. The heat output is slightly lower than that of a boiler – which means they combine extremely well with underfloor heating systems and energy-efficient aluminium radiators.
Due to the lower heat output, a heat pump should not be your primary consideration if your home is poorly insulated. But if you have proper insulation already installed, heat pump systems are one of our picks if you want to use renewable energy sources in your home in Ireland. The enhanced comfort in your home and the elimination of gas and oil usage in your heating are incredible benefits of this particular option
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Working in a similar way to air source heat pumps, a ground source heating system draws in heat from below the ground through a series of underground energy-absorbing pipes called ‘ground arrays’. This heat is drawn through these ground arrays and put through a process of evaporation and condensation to distribute heated water around your home.
The amount of heat energy generated in comparison to the electricity consumed by a ground source heat pump is fantastically efficient, which makes it a viable choice for using renewable energy in the home.
Solar Water Heating
Solar Water Heating works by taking heat energy straight from the sun via a set of solar collectors, – which contain a fluid made up of water and antifreeze. This fluid efficiently takes in the absorbed heat and is pumped around your heating system, bringing efficient, clean heat energy to your home. While solar power does certainly rank highly among the options for the best renewable energy source for homes today, it’s not very well suited to providing the entirety of your home heating. During winter, the output of the solar collectors falls off a bit, so it’s well worth supplementing this source with additional technologies like a heat pump system.
Heat Recovery Ventilation
MVHR, or Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery, is our last pick for consideration if you want to use renewable energy in your home. By making use of a heat exchanger system and a network of ducting, MVHR is able to extract heat energy from any air that would be expelled from your home into the atmosphere and transfer it to fresh air being drawn in.
This allows you to exchange stale air for fresh while keeping the heat already within your home at the same time. Recycling this heat is a great bill-saver and a significant boost to your sustainability. As a renewable energy source, it’s hard to beat MVHR.
At Pipelife, we find that the best renewable energy source for homes in Ireland today is actually a blend of different options utilising specialist technologies and systems. If you want to talk to the experts about the best heating solutions for you or are generally seeking advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our awesome team at Pipelife Eco for expert advice today!