Alternative heating of a country house. An overview of the types of alternative heating for a private house and recommendations for self-production and selection of components

For owners of private houses there is an opportunity to significantly reduce bills for public Utilities or not use the services of heat, electricity and gas suppliers at all. You can even provide a considerable economy, and if you wish, you can sell the surplus. This is real and some have already done it. For this use alternative sources energy.

Where can you get energy and in what form

In fact, energy, in one form or another, is practically everywhere in nature - the sun, wind, water, earth - there is energy everywhere. The main task is to extract it from there. Humanity has been doing this for more than one hundred years and has achieved good results. At the moment, alternative energy sources can provide the house with heat, electricity, gas, warm water. And alternative energy does not require any super skills or super knowledge. Everything can be done for your home with your own hands. So what can be done:

All alternative energy sources are able to fully meet human needs, but this requires too large investments and/or too large areas. Therefore, it is more reasonable to make a combined system: to receive energy from alternative sources, and if there is a shortage, “to get” from centralized networks.

Use of solar energy

One of the most powerful alternative energy sources for the home is solar radiation. There are two types of installations for converting solar energy:

Do not think that installations work only in the south and only in summer. They work well in winter too. In clear weather with snowfall, energy production is only slightly lower than in summer. If your area has a large number of clear days, you can use this technology.

Solar panels

Solar panels are assembled from photovoltaic converters, which are made on the basis of minerals that, under the action of sunlight, emit electrons - they produce electricity. For private use, silicon photoconverters are used. In their structure, they are monocrystalline (made from one crystal) and polycrystalline (many crystals). Monocrystalline have a higher efficiency (13-25% depending on the quality) and a longer service life, but are more expensive. Polycrystalline ones generate less electricity (9-15%) and fail faster, but have a lower price.

This is a polycrystalline photoconverter. You need to handle them carefully - they are very fragile (single-crystal too, but not to the same extent)

Assembling a solar battery with your own hands is not difficult. First you need to purchase a certain amount of silicon photocells (the amount depends on the required power). Most often they are bought on Chinese trading platforms such as Aliexpress. Then the procedure is simple:

A few words about why the substrate for the solar panel (batteries) should be painted white. The operating temperature range of silicon wafers is from -40°C to +50°C. Operation at higher or lower temperatures leads to rapid failure of the elements. On the roof, in summer, indoors, the temperature can be much higher than +50°C. That's why white is needed - so as not to overheat the silicon.

Solar collectors

Solar collectors can heat water or air. Where to direct the water heated by the sun - to hot water taps or to the heating system - you choose. Only heating will be low-temperature - for underfloor heating, what is required. But in order for the temperature in the house not to depend on the weather, the system must be made redundant, so that, if necessary, another heat source is connected or the boiler switches to another energy source.

There are three types of solar collectors: flat, tubular and air. The most common are tubular, but others also have a right to exist.

flat plastic

Two panels - black and transparent - are combined into one body. Between them is a copper pipeline in the form of a snake. From the sun, the lower dark panel heats up. copper is heated from it, and from it - the water passing through the labyrinth. This way of using alternative energy sources is not the most efficient, but it is attractive because it is very simple to implement. Thus, you can heat water in. It will only be necessary to loop its supply (using a circulation pump). In the same way, you can heat water in a container for or use it for domestic needs. The disadvantage of such installations is low efficiency and productivity. It takes either a lot of time or a large number of flat-plate collectors to heat a large amount of water.

Tubular collectors

These are glass tubes - vacuum or coaxial - through which water flows. Special system allows the maximum concentration in the tubes of heat, which is transferred to the water flowing through them.

The system must have a storage tank in which water is heated. The circulation of water in the system is provided by a pump. Such systems cannot be made on your own - it is problematic to make glass tubes with your own hands and this is the main drawback. Together with the high price, it hinders the widespread adoption of this source of energy for the home. And the system itself is very efficient, with a bang it copes with heating water for hot water supply and makes a decent contribution to heating.

Scheme of organizing heating and hot water supply from alternative energy sources - using solar collectors

Air collectors

In our country, they are very rare and in vain. They are simple and easy to make by hand. The only negative is that a large area is required: they can occupy the entire southern (eastern, southeastern) wall. The system is very similar to flat-plate collectors - a black lower panel, a transparent upper one, but they directly heat the air, which is forced (by a fan) or naturally into the room. Despite the seeming frivolity, in this way it is possible to heat small rooms during daylight hours, including technical or utility rooms:, cottages, sheds for living creatures.

Such an alternative source of energy as the sun gives us its heat, but most of it goes "to nowhere". To catch a small fraction of it and use it for personal needs is the task that all these devices solve.

Wind turbines

Alternative energy sources are good because they are mostly renewable resources. The most eternal, probably, is the wind. As long as there is atmosphere and sun, there is also wind. Maybe for a short period the air will be still, but not for long. Our ancestors used wind energy in mills, and modern man converts it into electricity. All that is required for this:

• a tower installed in a windy place;
• generator with blades attached to it;
• storage battery and electric current distribution system.

The tower is built any, from any material. A storage battery is a battery, you can’t imagine anything here, but where to supply electricity is your choice. It remains only to make a generator. It can also be bought ready-made, but it is quite possible to make it from an engine from household appliances- washing machine, screwdriver, etc. You will need neodymium magnets and epoxy resin, a lathe.

On the motor rotor we mark the places for the installation of magnets. They must be at an equal distance from each other. We grind the rotor of the selected motor, forming “seats”. The bottom of the recess should have a slight slope so that the surface of the magnet is tilted. Magnets are glued to the carved places on liquid nails, poured epoxy resin. The surface is then smoothed with sandpaper. Next, you need to attach brushes that will remove the current. And that's it, you can assemble and run a wind generator.

Such installations are quite effective, but their power depends on many factors: wind intensity, how well the generator is made, how effectively the potential difference is removed by brushes, on the reliability of electrical connections, etc.

Heat pumps for home heating

Heat pumps use all available alternative energy sources. They take heat from water, air, soil. In small quantities, this heat is there even in winter, so the heat pump collects it and redirects it to heating the house.

Heat pumps also use alternative energy sources - the heat of the earth, water and air

Principle of operation

Why are heat pumps so attractive? The fact that having spent 1 kW of energy for its pumping, in the worst case, you will receive 1.5 kW of heat, and the most successful implementations can give up to 4-6 kW. And this does not contradict the law of conservation of energy in any way, because energy is spent not on obtaining heat, but not on pumping it. So no inconsistencies.

Heat pumps have three working circuits: two external and they are internal, as well as an evaporator, a compressor and a condenser. The scheme works like this:

• A coolant circulates in the primary circuit, which takes heat from low-potential sources. It can be lowered into water, buried in the ground, or it can take heat from the air. The highest temperature reached in this circuit is around 6°C.
• The internal circuit circulates a heating medium with a very low boiling point (typically 0°C). When heated, the refrigerant evaporates, the vapor enters the compressor, where it is compressed to high pressure. During compression, heat is released, the refrigerant vapor is heated to an average temperature of +35°C to +65°C.
• In the condenser, heat is transferred to the coolant from the third - heating - circuit. Cooling vapors are condensed, then further enter the evaporator. And then the cycle repeats.

The heating circuit is best done in the form of a warm floor. Temperatures are the best for this. The radiator system will require too many sections, which is ugly and unprofitable.

Alternative sources of thermal energy: where and how to get heat

But the biggest difficulty is the device of the first external circuit, which collects heat. Since the sources are low-potential (there is little heat at the bottom), large areas are required to collect it in sufficient quantities. There are four types of contours:

• Rings laid in water pipes with a coolant. The body of water can be anything - a river, a pond, a lake. The main condition is that it should not freeze through even in the most severe frosts. Pumps that pump heat out of the river work more efficiently; much less heat is transferred in stagnant water. Such a heat source is the easiest to implement - throw pipes, tie a load. There is only a high chance of accidental damage.

  

• Thermal fields with pipes buried below freezing depth. In this case, there is only one drawback - large volumes of earthworks. We have to remove the soil over a large area, and even to a solid depth.

  

• Use of geothermal temperatures. A number of wells of great depth are drilled, and coolant circuits are lowered into them. What is good about this option is that it requires little space, but not everywhere it is possible to drill to great depths, and drilling services cost a lot. It is possible, however, but the work is still not easy.

  

• Extraction of heat from the air. This is how air conditioners with the possibility of heating work - they take heat from the "outboard" air. Even with sub-zero temperature such units work, though at a not very “deep” minus - up to -15 ° C. To make the work more intensive, you can use the heat from the ventilation shafts. Throw a few slings with coolant there and pump heat from there.

  

The main disadvantage of heat pumps is the high price of the pump itself, and the installation of heat collection fields is not cheap. In this case, you can save money by making the pump yourself and also laying the contours with your own hands, but the amount will still remain considerable. The advantage is that heating will be inexpensive and the system will operate for a long time.

Waste to income:

All alternative energy sources are of natural origin, but you can only get a double benefit from biogas plants. They recycle animal and poultry waste. As a result, a certain volume of gas is obtained, which, after purification and drying, can be used for its intended purpose. The remaining processed waste can be sold or used in the fields to increase yields - a very effective and safe fertilizer is obtained.

Briefly about the technology

The formation of gas occurs during fermentation, and bacteria living in manure are involved in this. Any livestock and poultry waste is suitable for biogas production, but cattle manure is optimal. It is even added to the rest of the waste for the "sourdough" - it contains exactly the bacteria needed for processing.

For creating optimal conditions an anaerobic environment is required - fermentation must take place without access to oxygen. Therefore, effective bioreactors are closed containers. In order for the process to proceed more actively, regular mixing of the mass is necessary. In industrial plants, electric mixers are installed for this, in self-made biogas plants, these are usually mechanical devices - from the simplest stick to mechanical mixers that "work" by hand.

There are two types of bacteria involved in the formation of gas from manure: mesophilic and thermophilic. Mesophilic are active at temperatures from +30°C to +40°C, thermophilic - at +42°C to +53°C. Thermophilic bacteria work more efficiently. Under ideal conditions, gas production from 1 liter usable area can reach 4-4.5 liters of gas. But maintaining a temperature of 50 ° C in the installation is very difficult and costly, although the costs justify themselves.

A little about designs

The simplest biogas plant is a barrel with a lid and a stirrer. The lid has an outlet for connecting a hose through which gas enters the tank. You won’t get much gas from such a volume, but for one or two gas-burners it's enough.

More serious volumes can be obtained from an underground or above-ground bunker. If we are talking about an underground bunker, then it is made of reinforced concrete. The walls are separated from the ground with a layer of thermal insulation, the container itself can be divided into several compartments, in which processing will take place with a shift in time. Since mesophilic cultures usually work under such conditions, the whole process takes from 12 to 30 days (thermophilic cultures are processed in 3 days), therefore a time shift is desirable.

Manure enters through the loading hopper, on the opposite side they make an unloading hatch, from where processed raw materials are taken. The bunker is not completely filled with biomixture - about 15-20% of the space remains free - gas accumulates here. To drain it, a tube is built into the lid, the second end of which is lowered into a water seal - a container partially filled with water. In this way, the gas is dried - already purified is collected in the upper part, it is discharged using another tube and can already be choked to the consumer.

Anyone can use alternative energy sources. It is more difficult for apartment owners to implement this, but in a private house you can at least implement all the ideas. There are even real examples of that. People fully provide for their needs and considerable economy.

One of the main items of expenditure of the family budget is the payment for communal heating or the purchase of fuel for heating the house. Every reasonable owner probably thinks about real and effective ways reducing these costs. But you can literally reduce them to a minimum using alternative energy sources. What are they and how are they used? Agree, it's worth knowing.

You will learn everything about how to arrange alternative heating for a private house from our article. With our help, you can easily decide on the most suitable option for you. A detailed description of the principles of operation of green energy schemes will provide an opportunity to decide which technological method is better to use to generate heat.

The article describes in detail the types of sources of free energy, provides methods for generating heat for use in everyday life. To help independent home craftsmen and diligent owners of country estates, photo collections, diagrams and very useful video instructions are attached.

Traditional heat sources that have been used for heating for many years can be abandoned. Surprising as it may seem, it is very real. Many ardent opponents argue that it is impossible to replace natural resources with environmentally friendly counterparts.

The alternative is the energy of the sun, the power of the wind, the heat hidden in the bowels of the earth, the waste of production and human life. Such options are relevant in the modern world, given the general pollution of the environment.

Alternative sources are able to provide a country house with electricity and thermal energy

Another significant advantage is tangible savings when using environmentally friendly sources of spontaneously renewable energy. At first glance, it seems that it is unreasonably expensive and unlikely to pay off.

Having dealt with the features of each method in more detail, you can see that the eco-project pays off in 4-7 years, and then only the current costs of maintaining the used mechanisms in working order remain.

The possibility of a complete replacement of conventional fuel with alternative fuel has been proven by more than one a real example. Homeowners in different countries of the world are resorting to ecological heating options. In our country, only a few decide to radically change the usual fuel, which is becoming more expensive every year.

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The main problem with the use of eco-fuels is significant investment in initial stage. After all, you first need to calculate in detail the amount of energy needed for a particular house or cottage. Then find out what type of eco-resource is the most beneficial in a particular area.

If all these issues are dealt with by the relevant specialists, then the final cost of eco-heating will be very high. To save money, you can try to do it on your own.

To do this, you have to immerse yourself in the topic of alternative energy sources in order to refuse to attract outside help. In this case, the cost of the project will be several times cheaper.

It is the second option that many owners of private houses choose. Their practice proves that it is quite possible to become energy independent. It is possible to completely or partially replace traditional fuel - it all depends on the size of the household, financial capabilities at the initial stage, and the chosen heating option.

The scope of "green energy" will be demonstrated by a photo selection:

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Types of renewable sources for heating

To heat the house, you can successfully use the energy of wind, sun, earth. Also biofuels. Let's take a closer look at exactly how to do this and what is required for this.

View # 1 - wind power

Very successful as an alternative heating source country house wind energy can be used. This resource cannot be exhausted. It has the ability to renew itself. To use the power of the wind, you need a special device called a windmill.

The principle of using wind energy

To convert the force of the wind into an alternative source of heating, a wind generator is required. They are vertical and horizontal depending on the axis of rotation. There are many manufacturers offering their models to customers.

Wind turbines come with horizontal and vertical axis of rotation. Great performance for horizontally oriented

The cost depends on the material, the size of the installation itself and the power. You can also build a wind generator on your own, using improvised materials.

Any windmill consists of the following components:

• blades;
• masts;
• weather vane to catch the direction of the wind;
• generator;
• controller
• rechargeable batteries;
• inverter.

The principle of operation of a wind power plant is based on the force of the wind that rotates the blades of a windmill. The blades attached to the mast are high above the ground. The higher, the higher the performance. So, to supply one house, a height of 25 m is enough.

Rotating blades drive the generator rotor. It starts to generate three-phase alternating current requiring further modification. This current is supplied to the controller, where it is converted to direct current. It is used to charge batteries.

After passing through the batteries, the current levels off and enters the inverter, where it is converted into a single-phase alternating current with a frequency of 50 Hz and a voltage of 220 volts. Now it can be used for domestic needs, in the electric heating system.

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Features of the location of windmills

Wind turbines are capable of operating under certain conditions. Firstly, a wind generator is a rather voluminous structure that requires an impressive area for the device. small appliance unable to meet energy needs.

Its height must be at least 10 m higher than the surrounding houses, trees and other buildings, and power lines and other objects must be located 100 m from the windmill. This requirement is not always feasible - not all owners of private houses have personal plots sufficient area.

Windmills are best placed on a hill, away from trees and buildings - at least 100 meters away

Secondly, it is good when the area under consideration has a good wind potential - a hill or a steppe zone. To start the generator, a wind speed of 2 m / s is required.

Many models of wind systems designed for use by private households are able to fully cover electricity needs.

So, a 1.5 kW windmill can generate 100-200 kWh per month, depending on the season. If the mast height is increased, then the productivity will become 2 times more.

But this will require additional installation costs and expendable materials. Wind farms have an average lifespan of 20 years.

We also have other materials on the site on the device, types of wind turbines, calculation and DIY manufacturing, and installation.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with them:

View #2 - Earth Energy

One of the alternative heating systems is geothermal. It is based on the use of the energy of the Earth. This is the heat of the earth, groundwater, ambient air, converted by heat pumps (HP). It is important that the medium temperature used by the installation is above zero.

The device and principle of operation of the heat pump

To operate a geothermal system, electricity is needed to transfer the resulting heat. The heat pump, using 1 kW, produces from 2 to 6 kW of heat.

The basic principle of operation of a heat pump is to collect heat, convert it and then transfer it to heating circuit. This is realized thanks to the device itself.

The cheapest way to install an air-to-air heat pump. If you build it yourself, you will need a minimum financial investment

HP consists of 3 closed circuits involved in the process of obtaining heat for heating a private house:

• external - designed to take heat from sources. Antifreeze or brine circulates along the circuit;
• internal - filled with refrigerant, more often freon;
• heating circuit filled with coolant.

The freon filling the internal circuit is heated by the heat coming from the external circuit. Having a low boiling point, it turns into a gas in the first heat exchanger - the evaporator.

Then it enters the compressor, where it is compressed, as a result of which a lot of heat is released, and the temperature of the gas itself rises many times - up to 65 degrees.

Next, gaseous freon enters the next heat exchanger, called a condenser, where it leaves its heat. Freon, having parted with most of the heat, enters under pressure on the relief valve. Here, the pressure drops sharply, the refrigerant cools and, having taken a liquid state, again enters the evaporator.

The heat left by the freon in the condenser heats the fluid circulating in the home's heating system. If this system provides for the installation of underfloor heating, then it is possible to achieve the most efficient heating at minimal cost.

Do the simplest option a heat pump is easy with your own hands. This will require virtually junk parts, cheaply purchased equipment and, of course, patience. We give a diagram of a thermal system with the intake of heat energy in a well buried in dolomite.

There is much in common in the design of heat pumps. Traditional components: 1 - compressor; 2 - capacitor; 3 - evaporator; 4 - TRV, i.e. thermostatic valve

The evaporator of the system considered in the example is connected to a well that takes energy from the soil.

The photo gallery presents the specifics of a heat pump device for an underfloor heating system:

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Feasibility of using TN

Heat pumps - HP, taking heat from the environment, are different. It all depends on the type of environment used as a source of heat intake and the type of coolant used.

Accordingly, the following types of TN are distinguished:

• air-to-air;
• water-air;
• water-water;
• ground-water.

The first two types of pumps are used in air heating systems, and the second two types are used in systems with a liquid heat carrier.

The vertical version of the heat pump is the most efficient in obtaining energy from the earth, but it is the most expensive.

The most profitable from an economic point of view will be the use of thermal. This option is advisable to use if there is a non-freezing reservoir near the house, in which pipes for heat intake are laid.

The heat pump allows you to get 30 W of heat from 1 m of pipeline. Depending on the size of the private household and the energy needs, an appropriate number of pipes will need to be laid.

Air pumps will not replace conventional heating in harsh climates. As for the heat drawn from the ground, this is a very expensive project. The horizontal device of the geothermal field, vertical and cluster drilling are used.

At horizontal version it is necessary to build a geothermal field to a depth greater than the level of freezing. This is about 1.5-2 m. The area of ​​\u200b\u200bsuch a field is impressive - from 200 m 2.

HPs are able to replace the usual fuel in the heating system, providing complete energy independence for a country house

The implementation of the vertical and cluster project will require drilling to a considerable depth using drilling rigs.

This is a very expensive service. The equipment of this type of heat pumps is advisable for owners of cottages who do not think about the cost of work. Heating, using heat from the bowels of the earth, can completely replace solid fuel or gas.

Geothermal heating is most advantageous to use in tandem with a water "warm floor" device. It allows you to get the best result.

Among the significant disadvantages are the large length of the pipeline for collecting heat, expensive earthworks to install the system, the need for a large area for arranging a geothermal field.

View #3 - solar energy

Solar energy, emitted by the luminary all year round, is capable of becoming an alternative form for heating a country dwelling even in severe frosts. It is important to learn how to properly assemble and use it in heating system.

To collect and convert solar energy, solar panels are used on photoelectric converters and collectors, which are a system of tubes filled with a coolant.

Solar installations have a high efficiency. Many zealous owners independently equip their homes with such systems.

The fundamental difference between these converters is that the batteries generate a current that can be used for electric heating of a country house. Collectors are used in the system of water and air heating. The most effective option is the equipment in the premises of the underfloor heating system.

The opinion that the sun is not able to cope with the heating of the house is true only in case of incorrect installation and erroneous calculations of the amount of energy and heat needed. An optimally selected solar plant is quite capable of providing autonomous heating.

Another question is that this will require investing in the purchase of equipment, its installation and integration into the existing heating system.

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The solar system on photovoltaic converters absorbs solar energy, and silicon photocells immediately turn it into a direct electric current. 1 m 2 of installation is capable of generating 120 watts.

In addition to panels that capture solar radiation and convert it, for solar system heating, you have to install a charge controller, a DC-to-AC converter and take care of safety - put fuses.

Before you decide on the installation of solar installations, you need to understand their device and the principle of operation.

The advantage of the panels is the ability to connect batteries that accumulate excess energy that can be used at night. A significant drawback when using solar batteries is their greatest efficiency in southern regions. In harsh climates, it is not economically feasible to install them for use as the main type of heating.

Solar installations equipped with a tube system are more suitable for regions with cold winters and negative temperatures. Depending on the structure of the panel and materials, there are vacuum collectors, flat and concentrators.

The most expensive among them are those with vacuum tubes. But they are the most effective at any time of the year and any weather, because they can absorb a wide range of solar radiation. Another advantage is that vacuum panels successfully operate at negative temperatures down to -35 °C.

You can install solar collectors with your own hands, without using the services of organizations specializing in this. Such work will require an assistant, but will save the family budget.

The principle of operation of the collector is that it captures solar radiation, which is converted into heat in vacuum tubes. Then it is transferred to the coolant, which delivers it to the heat exchange tank. Then the coolant enters the heating system.

In more detail, we examined the best designs for solar heating at home in.

View #4 - Biofuel

One of the most effective and available ways a country house is heated by a boiler that runs on biologically clean fuel.

This kind alternative heating uses production waste for its work - crop husks, wood chips, sawdust and other by-products of the woodworking industry.

There are many boilers that work on pellets. It is possible to automate the fuel supply process so that everything happens without the participation of the owner

From various wastes, dense compressed granules of small size are made - pellets that are burned in boilers. Compared to conventional wood, this fuel burns longer and provides more heat.

They also make large dense briquettes from various kinds of plant waste. Such compressed fuel makes it possible to obtain 2-4 times more thermal energy. His calorific value is up to 5.0 kWh/kg.

Pellets, unlike briquettes, are much smaller. They are applied in automated system heating. Briquettes are more efficient, but have a larger size

For gas boiler biogas can be used. It is easy to obtain in the process of decay of organic waste. To do this, it will be necessary to build a sufficiently voluminous tank, place waste in it, and provide an installation for mixing them.

Under the influence of air and bacteria, the process of decay and gas release will occur. A pipeline for the discharge of waste material is to be installed. Also, to collect gas in special tanks, clean it and move it to the heating system, you need to use the appropriate devices.

An environmentally friendly heating method using an alternative heat source - a hydrogen boiler.

Its work is based on the reaction of the interaction of hydrogen molecules with oxygen, during which a huge amount of heat is released. This type of heating requires compliance with the rules of operation and safety.

The principle of operation of a hydrogen boiler is based on the chemical splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen, as a result of which a lot of heat is released and no harmful substances. But you need to follow the safety rules.

The main disadvantage is the high cost of factory equipment. The way out of this situation is to equip a hydrogen heating system on your own.

For its operation, it will require a constant connection to sources of electricity and water, hydrogen burner, hydrogen generator, catalysts and the boiler itself. The heat obtained as a result of a chemical reaction enters the heat exchanger, and plain water is used as waste.

How to save on the introduction of "green energy"?

After analyzing the financial component of alternative types of heating, we can come to a disappointing conclusion - significant funds will be required at the initial stage.

Now, after 3-7 years, depending on the chosen method of heating, significant savings will become noticeable thanks to a non-volatile system.

It is profitable and convenient to use a combined source of alternative heating. To do this, you can choose the most optimal combination for your home.

It is possible to save on the use and installation of alternative heat generation installations. Many home craftsmen are very enthusiastic about creating analogues of factory-made alternative energy conversion devices with their own hands.

So, it is quite simple and inexpensive to assemble a solar plant from a hose, which will serve as an additional source of water heating.

Small windmills are successfully assembled at home from improvised means. Also, well-read farmers living in rural areas are building installations for converting biological waste of plant and animal origin into biogas.

Homemade wind turbines are quite efficient. But to assemble them, you need to make preliminary calculations, purchase consumables, spend your time

In the future, it is used for the needs of the economy. Depending on the size of the digestion tank and the area of ​​the private house, it is possible to fully supply the farm with biogas to meet all needs.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video about combining alternative sources to generate electricity in a small country house:

A video about making a wind generator with your own hands will help you easily understand the principles of the device:

A short video about using a heat pump:

Video clip about obtaining biogas:

It is quite possible to refuse traditional sources of heating. To do this, you need to carefully select an alternative or combine several, based on the characteristics of the area, the area of ​​​​your country house and the local area.

Energy of the sun, earth, wind power, recycling household waste of vegetable and animal origin are quite capable of becoming a worthy replacement for gas, coal, firewood and paid electricity.

Are you using one of the alternative energy sources for home use? Share how much it cost you to assemble the unit and how quickly it paid off.

Or maybe one of your friends has equipped his country house on renewable sources? Using the system solar panels or a heat pump as an independent source for heat, hot water and electricity?

Tell us about this experience in the comments below the article - a good example will be useful for homeowners who still doubt the reality of alternative energy.

Hello dear blog readers.

I plan to new year holidays go to the dacha for two days, take a break with the family from festive meetings and breathe in the aroma of fresh pine air. But at the same time, I understand that the trip turns out to be quite extreme, because the country house is not equipped with a heating system. In general, the village itself is not supplied with gas, and for a long time now I have been considering alternative sources of heat for a private house. They turned out to be quite varied.

I share with you the collected information. Also, this article may be useful for all those living in temporary suburban facilities in cold weather.
Heating of a private house is often autonomous, does not depend on central heating. Therefore, there is where the owner's imagination can unfold, not depend on one source of heat and save on this, using gas or electricity in smaller quantities. So what are these methods?

So that your head does not go around, like me, when I began to think about solving this issue, I propose a brief classification of heating systems without gas.

Let's break them down like this:

1. Those with which you can completely replace gas equipment and fully heat your home. These are heat pumps, solid fuel boilers.
2. Which serve as an additional source of heat to the main system: solar collectors, fireplaces.

Heat pumps - heating option without gas

Completely replace the gas boiler. They take energy from natural sources: soil-type pumps - from the deep layers of the earth, air - air from the atmosphere.

They convert it into heat to heat the house. At low temperatures, the efficiency of the air pump decreases, so it is more advisable to use it in the autumn-spring period. And the soil is beneficial to use throughout the heating season.
They depend on electricity, but the consumption is not comparable with the costs of heating a home with convectors or air conditioners.

Solid fuel equipment is a great alternative

The most common method in order to save and secure.

For the operation of solid fuel boilers, various raw materials can be used:

• - pellets;
• - coal;
• — petroleum products;
• - wood waste.

On the one hand, the disadvantage is that it is necessary to harvest combustible raw materials, but installing the system is much cheaper than a heat pump.

Solar system - solar heating

The source of heat for space heating is solar energy. After all, everyone has the sun. You can't argue with that, right?
Solar collectors are installed on the roof of the house, they serve to accumulate solar energy, turn it into heat. Not to be confused with solar panels, they are designed to generate electricity.
It is impossible to completely replace the traditional heating system with them in winter. After all, a sunny day is small, the power of the installation is not enough for bitter frosts.
Also a great option for getting warm water summer and off-season.

Fireplace for heating the whole house

Alternative heating in addition to the main heating. It is better to use in early spring, late autumn, when it is still not very cold. Since firewood has to be laid quite often.
In order for the fireplace to heat not only one room, but the whole house, a water tank is equipped inside it. It is connected to the general system. Then, when using the fireplace, heated water enters the radiators.

The nuances of heating for a country house

All the options considered relate to water heating. This is not a problem if you live in the house permanently. If this is a cottage where you do not come every day, then the system will freeze when severe frosts. Therefore, in such cases, instead of water, a special non-freezing agent is poured. antifreeze. Then, initially, it is necessary to calculate the entire system, taking into account the use of this particular coolant.

There is also a newfangled modern way out of the situation - installation remote control heating using telephone SMS messages or the Internet. Then you can remotely control the temperature so that the system does not freeze in your absence. The option is good, but you can’t throw firewood over the Internet, so an electric boiler is required. And, frankly, it's not cheap.

To whom all this seems complicated, he preserves a country house for the winter and does without heating, rests in another place and reads new information for the new season about). But home is better, more comfortable.

I also want to draw your attention to the "grandmother's method". If the cottage is a small area, and you come there for a few days, then there is another option - stove heating. I made a small supply of firewood and you're done. Arrived, melted - warm, did not arrive - no problems. After all, you can build a modern, colorful oven. There was a pleasant, comfortable, Nice picture in imagination? That's the same.

The choice is yours. It all depends on the budget and personal preferences of each person. And I chose solid fuel equipment and in the next article I will dwell on its description in more detail. Well, what method do you use, dear readers? Write your comments and subscribe to news. See you!

The search for new energy sources began long before it became clear that the reserves of hydrocarbons on Earth are not so limitless, and the depletion of the subsoil has an avalanche-like character. Back in 1846, the world's first wind generator was created, in 1861 an installation was assembled and launched to obtain energy from sunlight. And in 1913, the geothermal pump gave the first kilowatts. However, only recently the general level of technological development has made it possible to overcome a number of previously insoluble problems, and quite effective household equipment for sane money began to enter mass production. We will talk further about how realistic it is to make alternative heating for a private house.

What can be considered alternative heating

It so happened that there is no single approach to the definition and classification. Manufacturers of heating devices, equipment sellers, facilities mass media- everyone is ready to exploit this concept in their own way. Quite often, alternative types of home heating are called everything that does not work on gas. This may include a pellet "biofuel" installation, infrared heated floors or an ionic electric boiler. Sometimes the emphasis is on an unusual implementation, for example, "warm plinth" or " warm walls”, in a word, everything is relatively new, which has been actively used since the end of the last century.

So what is really an alternative for a private house? Let's focus on options where three basic principles are observed.

First, we consider only renewable energy sources.

Secondly, the performance of the equipment should be sufficient to at least partially supplement the heating (as the most energy-intensive system), and not just ensure the operation of a few light bulbs.

Thirdly, the cost / profitability of the power plant should be at such a level that it would be advisable to use it for domestic needs.

Alternative heating options

Advantages and disadvantages of such systems

For various reasons, developers are thinking about alternative heating of a house or apartment. Homeowners are the least interested in fashion trends, everyone needs new opportunities that can be obtained:

• Save money on bills for used energy. Electricity, gas, diesel fuel and even firewood - all this regularly rises in price, and this process is irreversible.
• Ensuring full autonomy, or at least reducing dependence on common networks and third party providers. Practice shows that such systems are most often used as an alternative gas heating for lack of access to the highway.
• You do not need to communicate with officials to obtain a number of necessary documents. You will not have to ask for the allocation of additional capacities (electricity), or, for example, permission to tie into gas pipe.
• Supporters of environmental friendliness cannot but rejoice at the fact that windmills, heat pumps or solar systems allow the use of truly clean energy sources.
• Power plants are completely safe for people and homes, as there is no combustion process (fire, flammable fuel, flue gases).

Unfortunately, in all respects there is no ideal option yet. Somewhere we get very low efficiency, in other cases we have severe restrictions on operating conditions, which in practice translates into too unstable power supply parameters. Some installations need electricity to work and are not able to work autonomously. Others have too high a price tag, because of which the return on investment can stretch for decades or even be in question.

Solar collectors in the heating system

A separate issue is the technical complexity of such power plants. It is not easy for a non-professional to install and configure them, not to mention making alternative heating from scratch with their own hands. For example, to create a sufficiently powerful (and most importantly - working) windmill.

When choosing alternative methods of heating a private house, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• cost of capital expenditures,
• operating costs,
• service life of the equipment before the first failures,
• technical possibilities for installation,
• requirements for operating conditions (number of sunny days, presence of winds, etc.),
• real performance.

Use of wind and solar energy

Wind turbines in heating systems

Kinetic wind energy is typically used to power buildings, but powerful models can provide at least partial heating in near-ideal conditions. If you do not take into account the initial costs, then the resulting electricity costs nothing to the consumer. It is very important that auxiliary resources are not needed for the operation of the wind generator, they function autonomously all the time. These installations as auxiliary energy sources are successfully integrated into systems where other types of heating devices are the main ones.

Standard equipment of the wind turbine

There are many types of windmill designs, but they are usually divided into two broad categories:

1. Horizontal wind turbines with propeller-type blades. These units are more productive (wind energy utilization rate up to 52%), therefore they are more suitable for heating needs, but they have a number of operational and consumer restrictions.
2. Wind generators with a vertical axis of rotation. These turbines are relatively low-power (KIEV less than 40%), but they do not require orientation to the wind, they can use not only laminar, but also turbulent flows, they begin to generate current even at low speeds. They are easier to maintain because the generator is near the ground and not on a mast in a gondola.

Here are some disadvantages of using windmills for heating:

• High capital costs. More than 70 percent of the funds are spent on auxiliary elements: batteries, inverter, control automation, installation structures. Investments pay off only after several decades.
• Low efficiency - low power. In addition, part of the energy is lost in the process of converting electricity into heat.
• The terrain requires the presence of constant winds with high speed. Energy is unstable, highly dependent on the weather and season, requires regular monitoring and accumulation.
• The equipment takes up a lot of space.
• Wind turbines generate a lot of noise during operation.

Note! When too strong wind, the generator will also not work, as protective automation is triggered.

Solar systems: solar batteries and collectors

Solar systems perform direct heating of the coolant or convert energy by photovoltaic method. In the first option, the sun's rays heat water / antifreeze (in some models - air), which is transported to the premises and gives off heat through radiators. In the second case, photons of light are transformed into electrical energy, supplying conventional heating devices powered by electricity (boilers, heaters, underfloor heating).

The principle of operation of the solar collector for heating and hot water

Accordingly, there are two types of devices:

• Solar collectors. The system consists of a circuit for the circulation of the coolant, an accumulation tank and the collector itself. Depending on the design, collectors are distinguished: flat, vacuum and air (air is used as a coolant).
• Solar panels. The installation consists of panels with photocells, controllers and an inverter. Battery generates D.C. a voltage of 24 or 12 volts, which is collected in batteries and, after being converted by an inverter into an alternating one (220 V), is fed to sockets.

Note! If you install a disk meter to account for network electricity, it will respond to the current received from solar panels - it will start to rewind the readings in accordance with the amount of additional incoming energy.

There are several disadvantages of solar installations. First of all, the dependence on meteorological factors and cyclicity (seasonal and daily). Batteries have low efficiency to provide a large amount of stable energy, they must occupy a large area and be equipped with expensive rechargeable batteries, which often have to be changed. The disadvantage of collectors is their dependence on electricity (for the operation of a pump or fan), or, for example, the danger of freezing of the coolant.

Photovoltaic panels are completed similarly to wind turbines (controller, batteries, inverter), so they can easily be combined with them into hybrid systems

Heat pumps for heating a private house

With this method of alternative heating, the equipment extracts and concentrates the heat that is accumulated in the ground, water or air. Energy is transferred in heat exchangers, and for the circulation of heat carriers in the system, several independent circuits are used. According to the principle of operation, a heat pump is similar to a refrigeration unit (where the compressor is the main power element), only it works in reverse.

Features of energy transfer in heat pumps

Note! Heat pumps can be considered universal and the most in a reliable way organize alternative heating of a private house. However, their operation requires an uninterrupted power supply. There is such a thing as a "conversion factor": for every kilowatt of electricity consumed, there is about 3-5 kW of heat received.

Geothermal installations "ground-water" and "ground-air"

These installations collect heat from long wells or horizontal layers from shallow depths. These heat pumps are the most efficient thermal energy soil has stable performance, and it is available in any latitude. There are two types of devices:

• Vertical probes are located in wells up to several hundred meters deep. They are showing better performance, but they are too expensive, mainly due to drilling work.
• Horizontal collectors consist of a system of pipes laid at a depth of about 1.2-1.5 meters (below the freezing level). They are less efficient and occupy significant areas that are not subject to development and are not suitable for cultivation. perennials. The main advantage of such structures is much lower excavation costs.

In summer, the heat pump can operate in reverse mode, performing the functions of an air conditioner

Heat pump "water-to-water" and "water-to-air"

The circuit with the primary coolant is located at the bottom of a non-freezing lake or river. It is similar in configuration to a horizontal manifold. The heat of industrial wastewater and sewerage, as well as groundwater, can be used. There are two types of structures:

• Water is the heat carrier and is pumped inside the open primary circuit.
• Water gives off its energy to a closed primary circuit, where "brine" circulates as a heat carrier.

Obviously, in order to organize such an energy supply, a suitable reservoir of a fairly large area must be located directly near the house.

Air source heat pumps

To obtain heat from the air, devices with a large radiator-heat exchanger and a productive fan are used, which must pump large volumes of air masses. These units can heat water or immediately give energy to the air (for example, air conditioners with a heating function work), sometimes they use the heat of flue gases or outgoing flows from ventilation systems.

These are the most inexpensive heat pumps, but they are the least productive and not all can operate at significant sub-zero temperatures (in most cases -10 is the limit). Only the most advanced inverter-controlled installations will produce heat at -25 degrees outside.

Geothermal collector laying option

So, do alternative ways of heating a private house have the right to life? Undoubtedly! This is at least farsighted. Already now they can qualitatively supplement traditional heat generators. If technical conditions allow, it is possible to assemble a hybrid system, and completely switch to renewable sources. True, this will require a certain amount Money and qualified professional assistance. But if for some reason it is impossible to get away from hydrocarbons, then it makes sense to modernize the conventional heating system so that you can control the temperature of the coolant as efficiently as possible, or, alternatively, direct efforts to insulate the building envelope to minimize overall heat loss .

Video: alternative and energy-saving heating systems

Most of us have normal gas, coal or combined heating. Of course, there is also an electric method of heating a room, but it is not very common due to the high temperature. But what if the heat is suddenly turned off, a pipe failure, a blackout, etc.? Don't freeze in the winter! Of course not, because in this case alternative heat sources come to the rescue. This is a mandatory attribute in an extreme or even catastrophic situation. Let's talk about everything in more detail.

Gas and electric heating

It is safe to say that today is an extremely turbulent and difficult time for many. Anything can happen to a gas line. For example, major accident is eliminated long enough, and if there are no alternative ways of supply, then people will freeze. As for electric version, then, firstly, it is expensive, and secondly, it is not very reliable. This is due to possible network congestion when connecting a large number consumers. Nevertheless, gas and electricity are by far the main sources of heat. All we can do is keep ourselves safe by installing emergency equipment. Sometimes you can make alternative heat sources with your own hands, we'll talk about this a little later.

Solid and liquid fuel boilers

These are perhaps the two most common solutions today. This is due to the high availability of equipment. Of course, the complexity installation work makes itself felt, but here's the cost solid fuel(coal, firewood, etc.) is quite reasonable. But it is necessary to think about such a heat source in advance and install it together with gas equipment. Certainly, water system can be carried out in parallel with the electroconvector, so, in fact, it is better to do so. As for liquid boilers, this is good decision, but for last years the popularity of this method of heating is decreasing. This is due to the increase in the cost of fuel. The latter is vegetable and machine oil, and mining is also suitable. If you work in a factory where dozens or even hundreds of such fuels are poured every day, then it's time to think about this issue. Such alternative heat sources for the home are extremely relevant, especially if there are oil reserves. Let's go further.

Alternative sources made - it's easy

Sometimes we ourselves can make something for heating. The easiest option is a potbelly stove. Most often, a barrel is used as a body or steel pipe large diameter. Two holes are made in the body, one is larger - a firebox, the second is smaller - an ash pan. It is desirable to make doors. Slightly below the level of the firebox door, it is necessary to make brackets on which the grate will be placed. The latter can be made from conventional reinforcement by welding. If you are making a potbelly stove from a pipe, then you need to weld the upper and lower parts. But do not forget that you need a chimney. To do this, a small hole is cut out from above, and a pipe is inserted into it. In fact, such alternative sources are manufactured, quite capable of heating a large room in the cold season. Coal or wood is used as fuel. Do not forget that you need to connect to the chimney.

Long burning furnaces

This heating option has become more common over the past few years. This is due not only to good advertising, but also to the high efficiency of the method. The bottom line is that there are two stages of fuel combustion. At the first, smoldering and the release of wood gas occur, and at the second, the combustion of the latter. As a result, we have a fairly effective, but at the same time economical heating. But it is necessary to carefully monitor the moisture content of the fuel. If this indicator is higher than the norm, then the amount of heat given off will not be so large, sometimes such fuel will not even smolder. Therefore, more attention must be paid to storage. It is better to give preference to a garage or any other covered dry room. Leaders in the production of furnaces long burning with an air or water circuit, Breneran (Canada) and Buleryan are considered. In principle, such alternative heat sources for an apartment should not be ignored. Moreover, sometimes this is the only available solution.

Heat pumps - alternative sources of heat for a private house

Many people have not even heard of this method of heating a room. But today, if we consider alternative heat sources, this is one of the best options. This is due not only to high efficiency, but also to safety. The bottom line is that the heat collected from the soil or water is transferred to the heating system. In summer, the opposite principle is most often used (cooling the building). As you can see, one heat pump can solve several problems. In winter it is a heating system, in summer - air conditioning. In terms of efficiency, heating costs will be about 10% lower than gas. But often the problem lies in the fact that not everyone can afford heat pumps, because this is expensive equipment that requires accurate professional installation. Yes, and this system is too dependent on electricity, so it does not have special meaning when there is a problem with electricity.

Install TEK or fireplace

Hydrodynamic installation (heating), aka TEK, is a new source of alternative space heating. The design of the installation includes an expansion tank (hydraulic accumulator), a pump and an electric pump. The principle of operation is based on the release of energy from two streams of water that collide with each other when they enter the tank. Often it is simply connected to the heating system of an apartment or house and does not require the installation of additional equipment, such as circulation pump, mechanical filter, etc.

As for such a solution as installing a fireplace, this is not available to everyone. But if you live on the top floor or the building has a chimney, then you won't have any problems. Of course, this is quite expensive and requires a lot of space in the room. But in return you get excellent heating. In principle, these are the most popular alternative heat sources for summer cottages, where there is a lot of space and it is possible to make a chimney yourself. The main thing is to work out the air heating system correctly so that air flows through the entire room.

Basic information about solar systems

Solar systems, despite their complexity, are quite popular. But if their use is difficult in apartments, then for a summer residence or a country house this is just what you need. Such a heat source consists of (vacuum). A collector is installed on the roof, where it collects the energy of the sun. When the rays hit its surface, the room is heated. It is noteworthy that the system works even at sub-zero temperatures or cloudy weather. But do not forget that it is extremely important to monitor the condition of the plates, clean them from snow, leaves, etc. Since it enters the heat exchanger as a result, it is used for the heating system and water heating for household needs. But in places where the sun is almost never there, such systems are not practical to install.

So what to choose

We have considered the main part of alternative heat sources. As you can see, there are quite a few of them. But what you install is up to you. So, solar systems are preferable in the southern and central regions, and it is practically useless to install them in the northern ones. A fireplace is suitable for a country house, and it is better to put it in an apartment. The best alternative heat sources for a garage are potbelly stoves, since here you can burn oil waste without worrying about a specific smell.

Conclusion

That, in principle, is all that can be said on this topic. The choice is very large, it is necessary to be guided not only by your own preferences, but also soberly assess your financial capabilities, as well as the appropriateness of a particular choice. If you come to the country a couple of times a year, then it hardly makes sense to install a solar system there, this is equivalent to installing a potbelly stove in a renovated apartment. Of course, the decision is yours, but make it deliberately and think about safety first, as well as about not freezing in difficult times.