How to heat your home without gas

A traditional boiler, connected to the entire system to provide comfortable indoor spaces and domestic hot water: this is the reference model for heating our homes. In reality, there are alternative systems which share the fact that they do not use gas as an energy source. Let’s discover them together.

Options

If you consider domestic heating systems that operate without a fossil fuel like gas, there are several options:

• heat pumps;
• biomass boilers;
• electric heating;
• hybrid systems;
• solar thermal systems.

Some directly use renewable energies, others use electricity which, in turn, can be produced sustainably. Let’s look at them in detail.

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Heat pumps

This is surely the principal alternative to a conventional gas boiler. It takes heat from an external source (air, water, or ground) and transfers it indoors to heat rooms and produce hot water. The most common types include:

• air-to-air heat pumps (using a heat exchange between external and internal air, very similar to split-air conditioning units);
• air-to-water heat pumps (external air heats water for radiators and for domestic hot water). 

Although there is a considerable initial investment, over time they guarantee high energy efficiency and allow gas-related costs to be reduced.

Biomass boilers

These are heating systems which produce heat by burning organic materials (biomass), such as:

• pellet;
• wood;
• wood chips;
• pits or vegetable shells. 

The heat produced by the combustion is transferred via a heat exchanger to water for radiators or underfloor heating, and to a storage tank for domestic hot water. 

Anyone interested in biomass boilers to heat without gas should consider the space required for storing the material, and the need for thorough regular cleaning by competent professionals. 

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Hybrid systems

Hybrid systems combine two different technologies for the supply of heating, cooling and domestic hot water. They may pair a condensing boiler and a heat pump to reduce gas consumption.

• The heat pump is active when the weather is mild and not too cold.
• The boiler comes into play when the external temperature is too low for the heat pump to be efficient, or when high thermal power is needed.
• A control unit, based on factors like outside temperature and required performance, decides whether to run one or the other, or both simultaneously, depending on the user’s settings.
  
  

Electric heating

As the name suggests, this allows heating without gas because electricity is converted directly into heat, for example via the resistances found in electric radiators.

These electric radiators are a highly efficient type of radiator and work well with smart home heating control. 

• The more advanced and modern models are designed with smart thermostatic valves, which allow regulation of the heat output in a room even remotely.
• These smart valves connect with WiFi thermostats, devices linked to the home wireless network that can be controlled from anywhere, at any time via an app.
• Smart valves and thermostats ensure high energy efficiency, also thanks to algorithms that “learn” daily, hourly, and weekly patterns of household occupants.
  

Solar thermal systems

Regarding renewable energy options as an alternative to gas: in a solar thermal system the solar energy is used to heat a carrier fluid which is then used for:

• space heating;
• domestic hot water. 

The operation is fairly simple.

• Solar thermal collectors, often referred to as solar panels, are installed on the roof or on sun-exposed surfaces.
• They capture solar energy, which is then transferred to a fluid in a closed circuit.
• The heat generated via a heat exchanger is stored in a storage tank that reserves the energy for when it’s needed. 

Solar thermal systems are often paired with other generators, especially when solar irradiation may be insufficient, e.g. in winter. If avoiding a gas boiler entirely is the goal, heat pumps are the best solution for integrating between the two systems.

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Considerations

High-performance, gas-free systems are indeed available on the market: before choosing one, however, it’s wise to take some important aspects into account. As noted earlier, for example, if you opt for a biomass boiler rather than a solar thermal system, you must allow for adequate storage space.

A biomass boiler in fact needs a dedicated space to store the fuel, whereas with solar thermal systems it’s essential to have an unobstructed surface exposed to the sun in order to optimise results. 

Costs

Another factor that influences the choice is undoubtedly the cost involved in installing one of the systems discussed.

Even heat pumps, the most common alternative to gas boilers, require a substantial up-front financial effort. The key is to assess the long-term benefits, with particular attention to the most recent regulations aimed at banning the installation of condensing boilers.

Efficiency

In terms of efficiency, heat pumps continue to be the most suitable solution:

• air-sourced ones can convert external air into heat even on cold days;
• in some geographical zones, where winters are particularly harsh, they can be supported by more traditional boilers, which however remain active only during brief periods or certain times of day. 

Sustainability

It’s clear that one of the goals of gas-free heating systems, besides thermal comfort, is a sustainable approach to home heating.

• Both heat pumps and solar thermal systems mark an epochal shift from fossil fuels to natural resources.
• The same applies to electric heating, provided the electricity used to generate heat comes from a photovoltaic plant, which also contributes to lower electricity costs when converted into heat for the home.
  
  

Maintenance

The performance of a gas-free system cannot disregard an aspect common to any heating system: timely and regular maintenance. It becomes even more essential in certain cases, such as with stoves or biomass boilers, which require thorough cleansing from residual materials when they are in operation.

Even heat pumps are not exempt, needing maintenance of components such as filters, internal circuits, seals and pressure levels.