Top Tips for Heating Off-Grid Homes
About 2% of the Australian population lives off-grid. this means that their sole source of energy, water and food is nature. That said, heating can be a tricky affair for newcomers of off-grid living. However, this doesn't have to be the case. This article highlights tips for heating your off-grid home efficiently.
Draft Proofing -- Off-grid living exposes the home to strong wind gales, which are rather cold during the night and winter. The cold wind currents -- also known as drafts -- can easily find a way into a home and create cold spots, which may lead to heat loss. Therefore, the first thing you should do before investing in heating equipment is draft proofing. It involves identifying gaps and holes around a house and plugging them. For instance, most windows have gaps around the frame through which cold currents can blow. Installing magnetic strips on the window frame and the acrylic window pane creates a tight seal and ensures outside wind currents don't get inside. This keeps the interior temperature of your off-grid constant.
Variety of Heating Solutions -- Running out of heating fuel is arguably one of the most common challenges of off-grid heating. The challenges come about when you rely on a single fuel source for your heating needs. For instance, firewood is accessible and free in off-grid locations, but it is only useful for heating needs if the wood is dry. Therefore, you might have trouble heating your off-grid home if the wood gets wet. Therefore, it is important to have multiple fuel sources for your heating requirements. It will ensure your off-grid home remains heated regardless of climate, fuel access, or size of the house. In addition to firewood, you can install solar panels and keep propane gas in the store. This way, you will always have a backup heating solution in case you run out of one.
Ground Source Heat Pumps -- Heat pumps, whether air or ground, are considered the most efficient heating solutions for off-grid homes. However, a ground source heat pump (GSHP) is better because ground heat is not affected by changing climatic conditions. Therefore, it remains constant and only shifts slightly all year long. Installing a GSHP allows you to use geothermal heat for your heating needs, such as heating the home and boiling water. It is important to note that GSHP requires a sizable outdoor space, which off-grid regions have in plenty.
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