Alternative sources of heating for a country house: a comparative review of eco-systems

One of the main expenses of the family budget is paying for public heating or purchasing fuel to heat the house.Every reasonable owner probably thinks about real and effective ways to reduce these costs. But they can be reduced literally to a minimum using alternative energy sources. What are they and how are they used? Agree, it's worth finding out.

You will learn everything about how to arrange alternative heating for a private home from the article we presented. With our help, you can easily decide on the most suitable option for you. A detailed description of the operating principles of “green energy” schemes will provide an opportunity to decide which technological method is best to use to generate heat.

The article describes in detail the types of free energy sources and provides methods for generating heat for use in everyday life. To help independent home craftsmen and zealous owners of country estates, photo collections, diagrams and very useful video instructions are included.

Pros and cons of alternative energy

Traditional heat sources, used for heating for many years, can be abandoned. Surprising as it may seem, it is quite real. Many ardent opponents argue that it is impossible to replace natural resources with environmentally friendly analogues.

The alternative is the energy of the sun, the power of the wind, the heat hidden in the bowels of the earth, waste from production and human activity. Such options are relevant in the modern world, given the general pollution of the environment.

Alternative sources can provide a country house with electricity and thermal energy

Another significant advantage is tangible savings when using environmental sources of spontaneously renewable energy. At first glance, it seems that this is unreasonably expensive and is unlikely to pay off.

Having understood in more detail the features of each method, you can see that the eco-project pays off in 4-7 years, and then only the current costs of maintaining the used mechanisms in working order remain.

The possibility of fully replacing conventional fuel with an alternative one has been proven by more than one real example. Homeowners around the world are turning to green heating options. In our country, only a few decide to radically change their usual fuel, which is becoming more expensive every year.

The main problem with using eco-fuel is significant investment at the initial stage. After all, you first need to calculate in detail the amount of energy required for a particular house or cottage. Then find out what type of eco-resources are most beneficial in a particular area.

Next, you need to draw up a plan for the location of energy-generating equipment, buy everything you need and install it.

If all these issues are dealt with by relevant specialists, then the final cost of eco-heating will be very high. To save money, you can try to do it yourself.

To do this, you will have to immerse yourself in the topic of alternative energy sources in order to refuse to attract outside help. In this case, the cost of the project will be several times cheaper.

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

The scope of “green energy” will be demonstrated by a photo selection:

Types of renewable sources for heating

To heat a house, you can successfully use the energy of wind, sun, and earth. And also biofuels. Let's take a closer look at how exactly to do this and what is required for this.

View #1 - wind force

Wind energy can be used very successfully as an alternative source for heating a country house. This resource cannot be exhausted. It tends to renew itself. To harness the power of the wind, you will need a special device called a windmill.

The principle of using wind energy

To convert wind power into an alternative heating source, a wind generator will be required. They are vertical and horizontal depending on the axis of rotation. There are many manufacturers offering their models to customers.

Wind power plants come with a horizontal and vertical axis of rotation. Greater performance for horizontally oriented

The cost depends on the material, the size of the installation itself and power. You can also build a wind generator on your own using available materials.

Any wind turbine consists of the following components:

• blades;
• masts;
• weather vane to catch the direction of the wind;
• generator;
• controller;
• batteries;
• inverter

The operating principle of a wind power plant is based on the force of the wind rotating the blades of the wind turbine. The blades attached to the mast are high above the ground. The higher, the higher the performance. So, to supply one house, a height of 25 m is sufficient.

The rotating blades drive the generator rotor. It begins to produce three-phase alternating current, requiring further modification. This current flows to the controller, where it is converted to direct current. It is used to charge batteries.

After passing through the batteries, the current is equalized and supplied to the inverter, where it is converted into single-phase alternating current with a 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 turbines are capable of operating under certain conditions. Firstly, a wind generator is a rather voluminous structure that requires an impressive area for the device. A small appliance is not able to meet energy needs.

Its height should be at least 10 m higher than surrounding houses, trees and other buildings, and power lines and other objects should be located 100 m from the wind turbine. This requirement is not always feasible - not all owners of private houses have personal plots of sufficient area.

Wind turbines are best located on a hill, away from trees and buildings - at least 100 meters

Secondly, it is good when the area in question has good wind potential - an upland or steppe zone. To start the generator you will need a wind speed of 2 m/s.

Many models of wind systems designed for use by private households are capable of fully covering electricity needs.

Thus, a 1.5 kW windmill can generate 100-200 kW hour per month, depending on the time of year. If the height of the mast is increased, the productivity will double.

But this will require additional costs for installation and consumables. The service life of wind power plants is on average 20 years.

We also have on our website other materials on the design, types of wind generators, calculations and do-it-yourself manufacturing, and installation.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with them:

• Kinetic wind generator: device, operating principle, application
• Wind generator for a private home: types and features of units, subtleties of choice, payback calculations + best offers
• How to calculate a wind generator: formulas + practical example of calculation
• Do-it-yourself wind generator from a washing machine: instructions for assembling a windmill
• How to build blades for a wind generator with your own hands: examples of self-made wind turbine blades

Type #2 - Earth energy

One of the alternative heating systems is geothermal. It is based on the use of Earth's energy. This is the heat of the earth, groundwater, and surrounding air, converted by heat pumps (HP). It is important that the temperature of the medium used by the installation is above zero.

Design and principle of operation of a heat pump

To operate a geothermal system, electricity is needed to transfer the resulting heat. A heat pump, using 1 kW, produces from 2 to 6 kW of heat.

The basic principle of operation of a heat pump is to collect heat, convert it and further transfer it to the heating circuit. This is realized thanks to the design of the device itself.

The cheapest option is to install an air-to-air heat pump. If you build it yourself, you will need minimal financial investment

The HP consists of 3 closed circuits involved in the process of obtaining heat for heating a private house:

• external - designed to collect heat from sources. Antifreeze or saline solution circulates along the circuit;
• internal - filled with refrigerant, often freon;
• heating circuit filled with coolant.

The freon filling the internal circuit is heated by the heat coming from the external circuit. Having a low boiling point, it turns into gas in the first heat exchanger - the evaporator.

Then it enters the compressor, where it is compressed, as a result of which a lot of heat is released, and the temperature of the gas itself increases many times - up to 65 degrees.

Next, gaseous freon enters the next heat exchanger, called a condenser, where it leaves its heat. Freon, having parted with most of the heat, comes under pressure to the relief valve. Here the pressure drops sharply, the refrigerant cools and, having assumed a liquid state, enters the evaporator again.

The heat left by the freon in the condenser heats the liquid circulating in the home's heating system. If this system includes underfloor heating, it is possible to achieve the most efficient heating at minimal cost.

It’s easy to make the simplest version of a heat pump with your own hands. This will require virtually junk parts, cheaply purchased equipment and, of course, patience. We present a diagram of a thermal system with heat energy intake in a well buried in dolomite.

The design of heat pumps has a lot in common. Traditional components: 1 - compressor; 2 - capacitor; 3 - evaporator; 4 - TRV, i.e. thermostatic valve

The evaporator of the system considered in the example is connected to a well that absorbs soil energy.

The specifics of the heat pump design for an underfloor heating system are presented in the photo gallery:

Feasibility of using TN

Heat pumps - heat pumps, which remove heat from the environment, come in different types. It all depends on the type of environment used as a source of heat intake and the type of coolant used.

Accordingly, the following types of TN are distinguished:

• air-to-air;
• water-air;
• water-water;
• soil-water.

The first two types of pumps are used in air heating systems, and the second two types are used in systems with liquid coolant.

The vertical version of the heat pump is the most efficient in obtaining energy from the earth, but it is the most expensive

The most profitable from an economic point of view will be the use of thermal water-to-water pump. This option is advisable to use if there is a non-freezing reservoir near the house into which pipes for heat intake are laid.

The heat pump allows you to receive 30 W of heat from 1 m of pipeline.Depending on the area of ​​the private household and energy needs, the appropriate number of pipes will need to be laid.

Air pumps will not replace traditional heating in regions with harsh climates. As for heat drawn from the ground, this is a very expensive project. They use a horizontal geothermal field device, vertical and cluster drilling.

With the horizontal option, it is necessary to build a geothermal field to a depth greater than the freezing level. This is about 1.5-2 m. The area of ​​such a field is impressive - from 200 m².

HPs are capable of replacing conventional fuel in the heating system, ensuring complete energy independence for a country house

To implement a vertical and cluster project, drilling to a significant depth using drilling rigs will be required.

This is a very expensive service. Equipment of this type of heat pump is advisable for cottage owners who do not think about the cost of work. Heating, using heat from the bowels of the earth, can completely replace solid fuel or gas.

Geothermal heating is best used in tandem with a water-based “warm floor” device. It allows you to get the most optimal result.

Significant disadvantages include the long length of the heat collection pipeline, expensive excavation work to install the system, and the need for a large area to develop a geothermal field.

Type #3 - solar energy

Solar energy emitted by the luminary all year round can, even in severe frosts, become an alternative method for heating a country home. It is important to learn how to assemble it correctly and use it in the heating system.

To collect and convert solar energy, solar panels with photoelectric converters and collectors, which are a system of tubes filled with coolant, are used.

Solar installations have a high efficiency. Many prudent owners independently equip their homes with such systems.

The fundamental difference between these converters is that the batteries generate current, which can be used for electric heating of a country house. Collectors are used in water and air heating systems. The most effective option is to install a heated floor system in the premises.

The opinion that the sun is not able to cope with heating a house is true only in case of incorrect installation and erroneous calculations of the amount of energy and heat required. An optimally selected solar installation is quite capable of providing autonomous heating.

Another question is that this will require investing money in the purchase of equipment, its installation and integration into the existing heating system.

A solar system based on photovoltaic converters absorbs solar energy, and silicon photocells immediately convert it into direct electric current. 1m² The installation is capable of producing 120 W.

In addition to panels that capture solar radiation and convert it, for a solar heating system you will need to install a charge controller, a DC-AC converter and take care of safety - install fuses.

Before deciding to install solar installations, you need to understand their structure and operating principle.

The advantage of the panels is the ability to connect batteries that store excess energy that can be used at night. A significant drawback when using solar batteries is that they are most effective in the southern regions. In harsh climates, it is not economically feasible to install them for use as the main type of heating.

Solar installations equipped with a tube system are more suitable for regions with cold winters and sub-zero temperatures.Depending on the structure of the panel and materials, there are vacuum collectors, flat collectors and concentrators.

The most expensive among them are those with vacuum tubes. But they are the most effective at any time of the year and in any weather, because they can absorb a wide range of solar radiation. Another advantage is that vacuum panels operate successfully at temperatures as low as -35 °C.

You can install solar collectors yourself, without using the services of organizations specializing in this. This type of work will require an assistant, but will save the family budget.

The principle of operation of the collector is that it captures solar radiation, which is converted into heat in vacuum tubes. It is then transferred to the coolant, which delivers it to the heat exchange tank. The coolant then enters the heating system.

We reviewed the best designs for solar heating at home in more detail in our other article.

Type #4 - biologically clean fuel

One of the effective and affordable ways to heat a country house is a boiler that runs on biologically clean fuel.

This type of alternative heating uses industrial waste for its operation - crop husks, wood chips, sawdust and other by-products of the wood processing industry.

There are many boilers operating on pellets. It is possible to automate the fuel supply process so that everything happens without the participation of the owner

From various wastes, dense compacted small granules are made - pellets, which are burned in boilers. Compared to conventional firewood, this fuel burns longer and produces more heat.

Large dense briquettes are also made from various types of plant waste.Such compressed fuel allows you to obtain 2-4 times more thermal energy. Its calorific value is up to 5.0 kWh/kg.

Pellets, unlike briquettes, are significantly smaller in size. They are used in an automated heating system. Briquettes are more efficient, but are larger in size.

Biogas can be used for a gas boiler. It is easy to obtain through the process of rotting organic waste. To do this, you will need to build a sufficiently large tank, place waste in it, and provide an installation for mixing it.

Under the influence of air and bacteria, the process of decay and gas release will occur. It is necessary to install a pipeline for discharging waste material. Also, to collect gas in special tanks, purify it and move it into the heating system, you need to use appropriate devices.

An environmentally friendly heating method that uses an alternative heat source - a hydrogen boiler.

Its operation is based on the interaction of hydrogen molecules with oxygen, during which a huge amount of heat is released. This type of heating requires compliance with operating and safety regulations.

The operating principle of a hydrogen boiler is based on the chemical splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen, resulting in the release of a lot of heat and no harmful substances. But you need to follow safety rules

The main disadvantage is the high cost of factory equipment. The way out of this situation is to equip a hydrogen heating system on your own.

For its operation, you will need a constant connection to sources of electricity and water, a hydrogen burner, a hydrogen generator, catalysts and the boiler itself.The heat obtained as a result of the chemical reaction enters the heat exchanger, and plain water is used as waste.

To learn more about biofuels, we recommend that you read our other articles on this topic:

• Do-it-yourself biogas plant for a private home: recommendations for the device and an example of arranging a homemade product
• How to obtain biogas from manure: technology and design of a production plant
• Hydrogen heating boiler: device + operating principle + selection criteria
• How to make a hydrogen generator for your home with your own hands: practical tips for manufacturing and installation

How to save money on the implementation of “green energy”?

Having analyzed the financial component of alternative types of heating, one can come to a disappointing conclusion - significant funds will be required at the initial stage.

After 3-7 years, depending on the chosen heating method, significant savings will become noticeable thanks to the energy-independent system.

It is profitable and convenient to use combined sources of alternative heating. To do this, you can choose the most optimal combination for your home.

You can save money by using and installing alternative heat generation units. Many home craftsmen are very enthusiastic about creating their own analogs to factory-made alternative energy conversion devices.

So, it is quite simple and inexpensive to assemble a solar installation from a hose, which will serve as an additional source of water heating.

Small windmills are successfully assembled at home using improvised materials.Also, well-read farmers living in rural areas are constructing installations for converting biological waste of plant and animal origin into biogas.

Homemade wind generators are quite functional. But to assemble them you will need to make preliminary calculations, purchase consumables, and spend your time

In the future it is used for the needs of the farm. Depending on the size of the waste digestion tank and the area of ​​a private house, it is possible to completely provide the farm with biogas to satisfy all needs.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

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

A video about making a wind generator with your own hands will help you easily understand the principles of the device:

A short video about using a heat pump:

Video clip about obtaining biogas:

It is quite possible to abandon traditional heating sources. To do this, you need to carefully select an alternative or combine several, based on the characteristics of the area, the area of ​​your country house and the local area.

The energy of the sun, earth, wind power, recycling of household waste of plant and animal origin are quite capable of becoming a worthy replacement for gas, coal, firewood and paid electricity.

Are you using one of the alternative energy sources for home purposes? Share how much it cost you to assemble the installation and how quickly it paid for itself.

Or maybe someone you know has equipped their country house using renewable sources? Using a solar panel system or a heat pump as an independent source of heat, hot water and electricity?

Tell us about this experience in the comments below the article - a clear example will be useful to homeowners who still doubt the reality of alternative energy.