[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Thermostats & Controls ] [ Replacing ] [ Efficiency Ratings ] [ Duct Systems ] [ Lowering Energy Use ]

Energy-Efficient Space Heating

Conventional space heating systems in the United States are responsible for a billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and about 12% of the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted by the nation. Reducing your use of conventional energy sources for heating is the single most effective way to reduce your home's contribution to global environmental problems.

You can reduce or eliminate your use of conventional energy sources by using solar energy space heating technologies or a geothermal heat pump - or you can use a more energy-efficient conventional system. You can make your current system more energy efficient by adding controls. If your heating system is old or inefficient, it may also be cost effective to replace it with a newer high-efficiency design.

Furnaces, boilers, or electric resistance heat powered by conventional fuels supply most of the heating in homes and commercial buildings today (for a discussion of the different heating fuels available, see our fact sheet on Comparing Heating Fuels). To a lesser, but increasing, extent, heat pumps are also used to provide space heating.