Southeast Michigan homeowners are dependent on their heating and cooling equipment to survive bitter winters and humid summers. This means energy consumption and utility costs are a constant focus. As more attention is being paid to renewable energy alternatives for home energy consumption, it’s a good time to research and learn about alternatives available to your traditional heating and cooling equipment.
There are multiple benefits to changing your Metro-Detroit-area home over to one or more renewable energy sources. Here, we consider three:
Affordability
As new technology becomes more affordable and tax incentives continue to relieve some of the financial burden, more and more homeowners are considering the benefits of renewable energy systems. Common types of alternative energy sources are solar power and geothermal ground loops. While initial expenses may seem fairly steep, long-term financial recoup thanks to energy savings should be the goal.
Solar power can pay for itself quickly depending on how much energy your household consumes. In areas like Berkley or Birmingham, which often experience long cloudy winters, solar might be best utilized to augment traditional power sources or for exclusive appliances such as water heaters. Geothermal ground loops use anywhere from 25-50 percent less electricity and can be used year round, which makes them a wise choice for our area.
Easy to retrofit
Both solar and geothermal heat pumps are easy to install in an existing home. Geothermal heat pumps require less room than conventional heating and cooling systems because most of the components are located under ground. Solar systems can start small and be added to over time to save money.
Less maintenance
Moving parts are one of the greatest contributors to maintenance calls in a home comfort system. Both solar and geothermal units have minimal moving parts, which means there is less overall wear-and-tear concerns and fewer components to rattle, vibrate or make unseemly noises. Solar systems are built and designed to last for decades and geothermal units often come with warranties ranging from 25-50 years.
If you live in the Metro-Detroit area and are interested in learning more about renewable energy options for your home, contact Aladdin Heating & Cooling.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about renewable energy sources and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Aladdin Heating services Novi, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Oak Park, Ferndale, Beverly Hills, Berkley, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Twp., Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Madison Heights, Clawson, Sterling Heights, Warren, Troy, St. Clair Shores, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Detroit, Utica, Shelby Twp., Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Lake Orion, Oxford, and Clarkston.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock