Gas, Oil, Electric, and Solar: Which Heat is the Best?

Every form of heating has its advantages and its disadvantages. Gas advocates are quick to tell you that gas burns cleaner and is historically less expensive than either oil or electric.

The oil lovers will counter that oil burns 400oF hotter than gas, providing heat quicker. They will also inform you that newer-high-tech oil furnaces burn as clean and efficiently as gas.

The electrical radiant-heat fan club will be the first to admit that this is the most expensive type of heating when compared to the other two forms. However, because radiant heat does not involve ductwork or vents, it does not move air or circulate dust particles it is more hypoallergenic. Radiant electrical heat also installs quickly in additions and renovations, making it the cheapest form of heating to install, as it does not require expensive furnaces.

Then you have the forced heat pump systems, which are the most inefficient form of heating, however they are the best source of summer air-conditioning. Ground-source heat pumps, on the other hand, are an extremely efficient form of heating. However, they are also more expensive to install. These systems work by drawing their heat from well or lake water, which is warmer than the outdoor air. These pumps them force the warmer air into the home.

The newest form of heating is with solar power. The two main drawbacks with this form of heating, is the expense of installation and finding qualified contractors to install the system. Solar heating works with solar electric panels that use photons to generate electricity. The energy from the sun is converted into electricity through a grid system. This system also has a meter, which reads the amount of solar power consumed by the home in compared to the normal electrical power used. The meter then subtracts the solar power from the electrical power to generate the utility bill.

Cutting the costs of energy bills is often the reason why people consider solar power for their homes. On average, the amount saved on one's energy bills can pay for the cost of installing the system in approximately 12 years. The Department of Energy hopes that by the year 2020, solar power homes will be the standard form of heating install in every home.