The decision of which heating system to install is crucial, as it will determine your heating expenses for the next decade. The efficiency of a system's use of fuel will vary depending on the size of the area you really have to heat and the availability of that fuel.
Electric reverse cycled heating systems are the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly heating choice for most Victorians. The advantages of heating with electro reverse cycle equipment can be amplified if a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system is also installed at the home.
Air conditioning and heating can consume anywhere from 20% to 50% of a home's total energy bill in Australia. If you want to save money on energy costs, get the most efficient appliances and systems available. Save money on utilities and enjoy optimal comfort by selecting the appropriate heating or cooling equipment size. Weather strips can be used to prevent draughts around windows and doors. Curtains and insulation on the roof and walls can cut energy costs for cooling and heating by as much as 30 percent.
Energy savings potential must be weighed against the cost and embodied energy of more costlier measures like double glazing. When electricity reverse-cycle ac is installed, for instance, double glazing may not be essential.
Find A System That’s Right For You
Fuel Available To You
Systems that produce heat in a building may use:
- gas
- electricity
- wood.
The one you pick will be determined by the gasoline you have on hand.
How Much Space Do You Need To Heat?
The two primary categories of heaters are:
- Rooms heated by a central boiler system.
If you need to heat the entire house, central heating might be the most cost-effective option, especially if it had zoning features that let you heat only specific rooms. A room heater is the most efficient choice if you need to heat just one room. The usage of a space heater is typically more cost-effective. Of course, the size of the room matters as well. To cover a broader area, a more robust system is required. Having a system that is too small to adequately heat your home will result in higher energy bills. Have a supplier to come out and take measurements of your home to give you an accurate estimate. If that isn't an option, you should at least submit a floor plan of your home with the room sizes you'd like heated marked out. Provide details about the home insulation you've installed.
Common Central Heating Options
Gas Ducted Heating
Air from within the house is sucked in, warmed by a gas furnace, and then blown out through ducts to various rooms in the house. The inside temperature is managed by a thermostat, which is often situated close to the air return grille.
- Pros
- Gets a house toasty quickly.
- Zoned heating systems allow you to tailor your heating needs to the specific rooms in your home.
- Different thermostats might be used for different zones in some buildings.
- Cons
- A lot of power is needed to run the fans that circulate the air.
- Often run on natural gas, however using liquid propane gas (LPG) will increase operating costs.
- Installation and maintenance costs are higher than those of a comparable gas space heater.
Buying New
Find out the gas ducted system's efficiency rating from your builder. Investing in a high-efficiency heater initially costs more money, but it pays out in the long run. To cut costs even further, think about installing a zoning system. The ductwork in these systems is a major source of energy loss. To find out the ductwork's R-value and how it can help you save energy, just ask your installer. The amount of insulation is this. Maintain an R-value of at least 1.0. Keep in mind nevertheless that a higher R-value will necessitate a larger ductwork diameter.
Energy Rating
The Gas Energy Rating labels seen on gas ducted heaters make it easy to compare the relative efficiency of several models. A greater efficiency rating indicates a more effective heater.
Use It Efficiently
To maximise efficiency, choose a temperature between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. Every degree above 20 degrees will increase your heating costs by about ten percent. To save money and energy, zone your system to warm just the rooms that are occupied. It is recommended that you clean the filter of our return air grille once a month during the heating season. Last but not least, have your gas furnace checked at regular intervals to keep it running smoothly and safely.
Gas Hydronic Heating
Water is heated in a gas boiler and then circulated by any of the following to provide whole-house heating in a gas-fired hydronic system:
- fan-coil units with pipes that are installed in a concrete slab.
After being cooled, the water is sent back to the central heating system to be reheated. An in-room thermostat regulates operations.
- Pros
- Allergy and asthma sufferers can rest easy knowing that radiators won't spread dust or warm air throughout the house.
- Heat from a radiator or in-slab system is less likely to cause discomfort due to its lack of dryness.
- By dividing the house into zones, you can tailor the temperature to just the rooms you need to feel comfortable in.
- Subfloor and wall-mounted radiant heating systems are much less audible than traditional radiators.
- Cons
- It requires more time to heat a room than a central heating system that uses air, such as a gas-powered or electric forced-air system.
- Wiring loom and radiator panels increase the price of installation.
- Runs more expensively on LPG than when on natural gas.
New Purchases
While the heater is on, there is some energy loss due to the pipes. Get the O m of the pipe cladding your installer plans to use when getting a new hydro heating system installed. The amount of insulation is this. It will run more efficiently and with fewer heat losses if it is well insulated.
Energy Rating
In Australia, gas hydronic heating systems do not come with any sort of energy rating marking. The gas boiler's efficiency, however, should be disclosed by the provider. A boiler with a performance of 75% to 85% is recommended for new systems. Choose a condenser boiler with an efficiency of 89% to 94% if you want to save money on your energy bills. The lower the operating costs, the higher the efficiency.
Anyone looking to buy a gas boiler for hydronic heating in Europe should ensure it has a label indicating its energy efficiency. The manufacturers or distributors of these items should have knowledge of this rating and be able to share it with you. The scale used to determine the grade runs from "G" to "A."
- D is 78 to 82% efficient
- C is 82 to 86% efficient
- B is 86 to 90% efficient
- A is more than 90% efficient.
Use It Efficiently
We suggest a comfortable temperature range of 18–20 degrees Celsius. Every degree above 20 degrees will increase your heating costs by about ten percent. Zoning is an option with these setups. Turning it off hot water supply to individual radiators is a great way to focus heating to where it's needed. An additional layer of control can be achieved through the use of thermostats installed in each individual room or zone. At the very least once every two years, you should have your gas boiler system pumping system checked out to make sure they are working properly and safely.
Types Of Heating
Heating Choices
- Powerful air conditioners that can cool and heat in reverse
- warmers, either portable electric ones or fixed gas ones
- Centralized Gas Heater
- Radiant floor heating with electric in-slab wiring
- High- to medium-priced wood fireplace heat modulators
FAQs About The Most Efficient Heating System?
Geothermal systems provide the most efficient type of heating. They can cut heating bills by up to 70 per cent. Like other heat pumps, they are also very safe and environmentally friendly to operate.
Gas heaters and reverse cycle air conditioning units generate over 65%4 less greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional electric heater. The most efficient reverse cycle air conditioners can produce 80%5 fewer emissions than standard electric heaters.
The most energy-efficient HVAC systems currently available for heating your home are heat pumps (geothermal and air sources) and furnaces. Heat pumps are also a very efficient way to cool your home. Your most efficient cooling system will be either a heat pump or an air conditioner for the summer.
Furnace. In general, furnaces are the most efficient of the heating systems, especially if you have natural gas. They work by heating air with a component called a heat exchanger and pushing it into the home through a duct system, using a fan
Also, electric and oil furnaces are the least efficient among the options. If you are going to use a furnace to heat your home and want to be as efficient as possible, opt for natural gas.
What’s The Best Way To Heat Your Home?
Electric heaters, gas heaters, and reverse-cycle air conditioning systems are the primary kinds of heaters. There are a few variables that will determine which choice is best for you. I propose that we analyse each category separately.
Electric Heaters
They are convenient if you won't be using it in a big room or for an extended amount of time because they are lightweight and inexpensive. For additional information, please refer to both our electric heater comparison tool and our electrically fireplace heaters buying guide.
- Perfect for: heating a single room or a single person.
Single-phase, non-ducted household air conditioners typically include an Energy Performance Label that details the unit's energy efficiency. The Australian government's Equipment Clean Energy Prgram has approved this Energy Rating Label. Heating costs for homeowners go down and environmental impact goes up when energy is generated by solar panels. Cost-effectiveness improvements in manufacturing and installation processes have made solar battery storage a more practical option. More specific information about an air conditioner's energy efficiency is now available thanks to the 2019 implementation of a Zoned Energy Rating Label (ZERL) that offers a seasonal efficiency value for three separate temperature zones across Australia.
Gas Heaters
Some people actually prefer the sensation of heat pumps over that of electric conditioners conditioners, and gas heaters can be quite efficient and cost-effective. Gas heaters can be powered either by piped-in natural gas or by liquid propane gas (LPG) from a tank. A heater made for natural gas won't function with LPG and likewise, so be sure to choose the appropriate model for the gas you have access to.
The Australian government's E3 initiative, which created an Energy Rating Label, does not include gas heaters. As part of the product certification procedure required by state and territorial gas technical and safety laws, different types of gas heaters have distinct gas appliances look for the energy star labels. Costs to operate the fan and other mechanical wiring are included in the running costs of all except the smallest unflued variants. In most cases, only about 85% of gas is converted into heat by gas heaters. The remaining heat is lost up the chimney or out the windows for items without a chimney.
Water vapour and carbon monoxide are harmful byproducts of gas heating, and condensation and mould can develop as a result. They also give off nitrogen dioxide and small particles, which have been linked to an increase in respiratory disorders such as asthma issues in children. While flued gas burners and main ducted gas heating systems may provide less of a threat since they vent almost all of their waste outdoors, they nonetheless have the potential to emit some emissions indoors.
- Compared to vent-free heaters, the cost to purchase and install a flued heater is higher. Having harmful byproducts like carbon monoxide and vapour removed from the house is safer, but it can result in a negligible amount of heat loss and decrease in efficiency.
- The byproducts of operation of moveable or unflued heaters are released into the heated space. You need to ensure that the space is aired even if Australian rules and laws limit the number on emissions allowed.
- Every few years, have a professional inspect your gas heater to make sure it is running safely and efficiently.
- You should NEVER bring an outside gas heater indoors. They aren't subject to the same stringent emission regulations as gas heaters used inside the home, and can release harmful concentrations of carbon monoxide and other pollutants if used inside for an extended period of time. The same holds true for your home's gas range or oven.
- Install a CO detector, which can be found at any hardware shop, if you're using a heater. In the event that the heater suffers a defect and begins emitting lethal levels of toxic gas, this can save your life.
A Guide To Electric Heating Options
Hydronic heating and reverse-cycle air conditioning are two of the most popular and efficient heating methods, and they have been the topic of previous issues of Renew. Each have their pros and cons, and some persons, home layouts, and climates may find one to be more ideal than the other. Should we be looking into any other possibilities? Comfortable, warm, and energy-efficient housing that doesn't rely on gas heating presents a number of problems, the answers to which are crucial for making the best possible decisions.
First, it's important to clarify that we're not even thinking about using gas heaters. Since gas is still a fossil fuel, using gas appliances will always result in the release of glasshouse gases. The good news is that you may offset your carbon footprint by purchasing 100% GreenPower or by installing a solar power plant large enough to satisfy your demands throughout the year by using solar panels, even though electricity is generated in part by fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. Gas heating is no longer a viable option economically speaking either. Check out Renew's most recent study on the topic for more information.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, tell me about the electric heating choices. First, we'll review the two methods we've already discussed—reverse-cycle air conditioning , hydronic heating—because they are frequently utilised for space heating. The next section will cover several heating options, including resistive heating systems, solar air heaters, and more.
Reverse-Cycle Air Conditioners
Refrigerators and air conditioners with a reverse-cycle system both use compression to move heat from one location to another. A heat pump is the piece of equipment that allows this to occur. The warm exterior of your refrigerator is the result of a heat pump moving heat from the inside of the cabinet to the outside. A reverse-cycle air conditioner's transfer can occur in either direction, hence the name. The process of transferring heat from outside to inside and vice versa occurs in the winter and summer, respectively.
A Big Pro For Heat Pumps: Efficiency
Reverse-cycle air conditioners' efficiency is quite remarkable. When compared to electric heating that uses resistive elements to convert the electricity into heat directly, air conditioners used in reverse-cycle air conditioning systems are far more efficient, in some cases up to 600% efficient, meaning they use much less energy to create the same quantity of heat. No way! A heat pump transfers heat from one location to another, as its name implies. It doesn't convert one type of energy into another but rather uses electricity to transfer thermal energy. Heat pumps can transfer significantly more waste heat than the electrical energy they consume since heat is extremely easy to capture and transmit.
Conclusion
Your heating costs over the following decade will be heavily influenced by the heating system you choose to install. Most Victorians find that electric reverse cycled heating systems are the most economical and eco-friendly option for keeping warm. Due to the fact that cooling and heating accounts for up to half of the typical household's energy expenditure, investing in the most efficient options is crucial. The use of weather strips on windows and doors, along with insulation in the attic and walls, can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 30 percent. The potential for energy savings must be balanced against the monetary and environmental costs of more expensive measures like double glazing.
If your central heating system includes zoning capabilities, you can save money by heating only the rooms you use. If you need to heat just one room, the most cost-effective option is a room heater, while the size of the space is still an important consideration. A more powerful system is needed to cover a larger area. Gas ducted heaters warm air from within the house with a gas furnace and distribute it to different rooms via ducts. You may control the temperature of individual rooms with a zoning heating system.
It takes more money up front to purchase a high-efficiency heater than a comparable gas space heater, but those expenses quickly disappear thanks to the heater's efficiency. Ductwork is a significant contributor to energy loss in these systems; therefore, it is crucial to keep the R-value at or above 1.0. In a gas-fired hydronic system, water is heated in a gas boiler and circulated by any of the following: fan-coil units with pipes inserted in a concrete slab. A thermostat controls the temperature in the room. Radiators won't circulate dust or heat throughout the home, giving asthma and allergy sufferers some relief.
When a home is split up into different "zones," each zone may be individually controlled to maintain a pleasant temperature in the specific rooms that need it. Disadvantages include a longer heating time compared to an air-based central heating system, more expensive installation due to the need for a wire loom and radiator panels, and higher operating costs when using LPG as opposed to natural gas. Invest in a gas boiler that has been certified as efficient for use with hydronic heating in Europe. The grading scale used to assign letters grades ranges from "G" to "A". Put it to good use and keep the temperature at a pleasant 18–20 degrees Celsius.
It is possible to divide a building into several zones, and thermostats should be set up in each zone that needs them. Once every two years, you should inspect the pumping system of your gas boiler. The Energy Performance Label provides information on the energy efficiency of single-phase, non-ducted home air conditioners. This Energy Rating Label, which provides a seasonal efficiency number for three climate zones in Australia, has been authorised by the Australian government's Equipment Clean Energy Prgram. Be sure to select a gas heater that can run on either the natural gas that comes through the pipes or the liquid propane gas (LPG) that comes from a tank.
Condensation and mould growth are problems that can arise from using gas for heating because of the byproducts of combustion, such as water vapour and carbon monoxide. Although flued gas burners and central ducted gas heating systems provide a lower risk, they can nevertheless release emissions within a building. There are benefits and drawbacks to using both hydronic heating and reverse-cycle air conditioning, two of the most well-known and effective heating systems. Electric heating options, such as 100% GreenPower or solar power plants, should be considered when building gas-independent homes that are cosy, warm, and efficient. A CO detector can save your life in the event of a malfunction, and gas heating is no longer a cost-effective solution.
There are a variety of electric heating choices, such as solar air heaters, hydronic heating, resistive heating systems, and reverse-cycle air conditioning. A heat pump is the component of a reverse-cycle air conditioner that enables the transfer of heat from one location to another through the use of compression. Up to 600% efficient, heat pumps transmit far more waste heat than they consume in the process.
Content Summary
- Your heating costs over the following decade will be heavily influenced by the heating system you choose to install.
- Invest in the most energy-efficient equipment and systems on the market to cut down on utility bills.
- Choosing the right size of heating or cooling equipment is crucial for minimising monthly utility costs and maximising comfort.
- Using a space heater is often more economical.
- You may control the temperature of individual rooms with a zoning heating system.
- Heating only the occupied spaces can significantly reduce heating costs and carbon emissions by zoning the system.
- Gas boilers for hydronic heating in Europe should be labelled with their energy efficiency for consumers' benefit.
- A gas boiler system pumping system should be inspected at least once every two years to ensure optimum operation and avoid any potential safety issues.
- Which option is ideal for you depends on a number of factors.
- The Energy Performance Label provides information on the energy efficiency of single-phase, non-ducted home air conditioners.
- The upfront and ongoing expenses associated with installing a flued heater are greater than those of vent-free models.
- If you are using a heater, it is imperative that you install a CO detector, which can be purchased at any hardware store.
- Many earlier editions of Renew have focused on hydronic heating and reverse-cycle air conditioning, two of the most common and efficient forms of home heating.
- Answers to these questions are essential for making the best judgements possible regarding the provision of comfortable, warm, energy-efficient home that does not rely on gas heating.
- In the next part, we'll talk about various heating methods, such as solar air heaters, radiant floor heating, and more.
- Air conditioners used in reverse-cycle air conditioning systems are up to 600% more efficient at turning electricity into heat than electric heating that uses resistive elements to convert the electricity into heat directly.