It’s a new year, and so it makes sense to be looking toward the future. Are there home heating solutions that can make our future greener, or are there none yet?
Hydrogen boilers
There are many options for home heating, but none are quite as green or cheap to operate as hydrogen boilers. They use the plentiful element of hydrogen to provide heat without having to burn fossil fuels, except to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. These two gases are then burned together in a burner. So, overall, almost no environment-harming carbon would be generated in this process!
How would it work?
You might be wondering, how does the hydrogen get into your home? Well, it would require current gas lines to be replaced with hydrogen gas. So basically, this home heating solution is going to be a bit further in the future no matter what, because it would require hydrogen gas lines being connected to the gas network, and companies to provide this service! As well as technicians trained to install this equipment …
However, one thing that would make the transition easier is the fact that hydrogen boilers would not look that different from existing equipment. In fact, it could have all the same parts as a regular gas boiler system, except for the flame detector and the burner, which would need to be altered to support hydrogen gas instead of natural gas.
Are they available now?
As you might have guessed based on this info, it is not yet possible to buy and use a hydrogen boiler! But some manufacturers, such as Baxi and Worcester Bosch, are already developing hydrogen boilers.
There’s also been a push to add hydrogen to existing gas lines, in what would be called a “hydrogen blend.” Mixing 80% natural gas and 20% hydrogen, for example, could be one way that the government could cut down on carbon emissions today!
The future
With California’s hope to reduce natural gas use with laws taking effect in 2023, and with our governor Gavin Newsom announcing the hope to eliminate carbon emissions by the year 2045[1], we have our work cut out for us! California is really hoping to help save the environment, and with that in mind, hydrogen boilers as an alternative to gas central heating does sound like something that could happen. But for now, the best way to do your part (and save money by reducing waste) is with a high-efficiency furnace or especially a heat pump!
Heat pumps are an efficient and reliable way to heat your home this winter. Whether you need maintenance done on your high-efficiency system or are considering a high-efficiency replacement … Biard & Crockett is the one to call here in Orange County! Contact us online or give us a call: (714) 602-1299