Why choose an eco-friendly heating system?

It’s most often when the time comes to turn your radiators back on and face up to the harshness of winter that you start to wonder about the efficiency of your heating system and its impact on the environment.

While environmental issues remain at the forefront of society and energy prices fluctuate wildly due to a tense market, the time has perhaps come to make a change and opt for a more eco-friendly heating system.

Start by reducing your energy needs

Before discussing the different types of heating system, it is important to specify that the cheapest (and least polluting) form of energy remains that which is not consumed. Whether you want to reduce your environmental footprint or make financial savings, the first challenge is reducing your energy consumption.

For instance, lowering the thermostat by one degree saves up to 7% on your overall energy bill during heating periods. Strengthening your home’s thermal performance by ensuring that it is well insulated also allows for substantial energy savings. Insulating the roof alone can save up to 30% on your heating budget.

In Luxembourg, it is possible to benefit from financial aid in the form of enoprimes for carrying out energy renovation projects.

Which eco-friendly heating system to choose?

If the issue is reducing the environmental footprint of your heating system, those operating with fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas should be avoided. By offering the energy renovation grant, Luxembourg is encouraging projects replacing an oil or gas boiler with a system running on renewable energy.

The heat pump – an eco-friendly investment to save you money

A heat pump is a heating system which, using a minimal supply of electricity, will draw heat energy from the outside air (if we are talking about an air-water heat pump), or in the ground (if it is geothermal), in order to heat the water circulating in the domestic heating circuit. It is therefore a system that does not emit greenhouse gases, as long as the energy needed for its operation is 100% renewable electricity (like that offered by Enovos).

One of the main advantages of this solution? It doesn’t involve changing the heating circuit. The heat pump can be easily integrated into the existing system. It also doesn’t require the storing of fuel, unlike oil.

A heat pump does however represent a fairly significant investment, depending on your needs. You’ll need a budget of between 15,000 and 25,000 euros for a quality system. The amount of investment can be reduced by obtaining bonuses. On the other hand, these systems consume little energy. Considering the savings they enable you to make, investment is paid off within a few years.

Heat pump paired with a photovoltaic system

If the heat pump requires an electricity supply, this can also come directly from a domestic photovoltaic installation. Solar panels located on the roof, for example, can power your heat pumps, at least during the day, and will help to further reduce your electricity bill. This is called self-consumption.

What about solar thermal panels?

Photovoltaic panels transform solar energy into electricity. Alongside these, thermal solar panels can also be installed. This device, thanks to its sensors, recovers energy from light to reproduce it in the form of heat. This is recovered and transported through the home using a heat-transfer fluid. These heating systems are more affordable financially. In Luxembourg, it is also possible to benefit from help with their installation.

Wood – an ever-renewing source of energy

Most often used as a source of additional heating, a pellet or log stove is another eco-friendly system. Wood is in fact a form of a renewable energy, it also remains relatively inexpensive. Wood can also be used as the main source of energy for housing. On the market, we are also seeing an increase in the installation of pellet, wood pellet or log boilers, with very good results.

Incentives are also available to encourage residents to opt for this environmentally friendly heating method. The main disadvantage of these systems lies in the need to have a fairly large storage space.

Would you like to find out more about the financial aid available as part of a heating system replacement project? Visit enoprimes website.