We are constantly being reminded of the need to make better decisions for the planet in response to climate change, and one of the areas we need to consider is the way we heat our homes.
Along with finding the most economical heating solutions, environmental considerations also come into play when choosing which option to go for. We have mentioned previously that the government has stated that by 2025, all new homes will be banned from installing gas and oil boilers and will instead be heated by low-carbon alternatives. Infrared heaters provide a perfect way to have a low-carbon heating solution in your home or office, so let’s take a look in more detail.
No Wasted Energy
Using radiant heating, infrared heats the objects in a room, rather than the air as in the case of traditional convection heaters, and this results in a significant contrast in the amount of energy used. Air is not a good insulator, so a lot of energy is used (and wasted) by convection heaters in constantly reheating the air. It is thought that 30-35% of heat from a convection heater is lost through the roof and 18-25% is lost through the walls.
By contrast, infrared panels convert all electricity into heat with no wastage, which gives low energy usage. Very little energy is required to heat the surface of a panel and the heat is quickly emitted to objects in the room. Once the room is warm, the infrared heater only needs to maintain the surface temperature; again using less energy. The heat from infrared panels is not wasted as it does not pass through building materials as the infrared wavelengths are too opaque. This means they are more energy efficient and create a smaller carbon footprint than traditional convection heating.
No Harmful Chemicals
Infrared heaters do not emit any harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide into a room. Fundamentally, they do not add anything to the environment and don’t take anything from it either.
No Damp
A benefit for your personal home or work environment – infrared heating can reduce damp and mould, which in turn can cause terrible health effects. Because the heat radiates into the walls, ceilings, floors etc, it eliminates that cold, damp feeling and helps to maintain a healthy environment inside your home.
Infrared and Green Energy Production
Although infrared heating is not a renewable energy in itself, it can be incorporated with green energy production, like solar panels, to produce an even more carbon-efficient solution.
This can also be combined with battery storage of electricity generated by solar panels, so excess power can be stored and used at other times, for example at night-time or when it is raining. This allows infrared heaters to be completely powered by solar-generated electricity, which reduces the environmental impact and your costs.
Infrared heating – Good for the Environment
To answer the original question - are infrared heaters good for the environment? – the answer is yes!
Infrared heating is efficient and reduces energy consumption. The more people that switch to infrared means less demand for fossil fuels that when burned, are harmful to the environment. Carbon emissions are directly linked to global warming and health problems, so let’s all do our bit to help.
Are you interested in infrared heating solutions for your home or office? Contact our team now via telephone or email.
