5 Transformational Heating Innovations to Consider For New Builds

May 23, 2023

Building an energy-efficient home is one of the major considerations that go into new-build projects these days. People want to reduce their energy bills and be kinder to the environment. With the advances in technology, systems, and materials, there are many options available. Here are a few transformational heating innovations to consider for new builds:

How To Choose the Best Heating System For Your Home

Choosing the best new heating technologies for your home requires you to consider a number of factors including:

Where you live
What size budget you have available
The type of fuel you intend to use to power your home
The size of your new-build property
What kind of insulation, windows, and doors you will fit

Top 5 Heating Innovations for New Builds

Here are some transformational heating innovations to consider for new builds:

1. Smart Electic Panels

Smart Electric Panels allow you to control every circuit in your home from your mobile phone. You can monitor, control, automate, and decarbonize every aspect of your home’s energy usage. As the world transitions from carbon fuels to renewable energy sources smart electric panels can be a genuine game changer.

Pros of Smart Electric Panels

Here are some benefits of smart electric panels:

Total monitoring of your solar performance
Longer-lasting, full home battery backup
Automated alerts if anything isn’t working as it should
Real-time data insights and analytics

Cons of Smart Electric Panels

As with anything, there are some drawbacks to smart electric panels as well. Although you could say there aren’t many, that it will transform how you use energy, and won’t drain finite natural resources, it’s still an evolving technology.

Requires special wiring installation
Upfront investment with ROI over time
Circuit limits could be too low for some residences

2. Solar Heating Systems

Solar panels are a heating technology that has come to the fore in recent times because of improved technology and a significant reduction in cost.

They are one of the most eco-friendly methods of producing energy and if you install solar panels in your new home you have a very good chance of being able to sell the excess energy they produce back to the grid. Here are some solar heating pros and cons to consider:

Pros of Solar Panels

Eco-friendly and capable of getting your home to net zero
Can provide a notable ROI
Reduces energy bills
Can increase the value of your property
May entitle you to government rebates or other financial incentives

Cons of Solar Panels

As with anything, there are some drawbacks to solar panels as well:

High up-front costs
Weather dependent
Panels require regular cleaning to maintain optimal performance
Can diminish the look of a property

3. Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal Heat Pumps have actually been around since the 1940s but they are becoming increasingly popular in the USA.

Geothermal heating works by having an underground loop of pipes that absorb heat directly from the earth and feed it back into the property. Because shallow ground temperatures are pretty much the same throughout the US they are suitable for virtually all regions.

Pros of Geothermal Heating

Highly efficient
Very environmentally friendly
Can be used to cool as well as heat
Provide free hot water

Cons of Geothermal Heating

Initial installation can be expensive
Repairs can be costly and intrusive

4. Radiant Floor Heating Systems

Radiant heating systems first came out over 50 years ago but it is only with significant advances in technological capabilities that they have become viable as a complete heating system for people’s homes.

Underfloor Radiant Heating Systems work by heating the objects in the room, rather than heating the air like a normal radiator. This brings a number of distinct advantages over traditional heating systems.

Pros of Radiant Heating Systems

They are approximately 30%-60% more energy efficient than traditional heating systems
They heat rooms faster and retain heat for longer
They don’t take up any space
They make rooms more aesthetically appealing
They are designed for compatibility with green energy sources
They require little to no maintenance as they suffer from no worn parts or mechanical failings
They can last anywhere from 30-50 years
They will ultimately pay for themselves and provide a return on investment

Cons of Radiant Heating Systems

They require a significant initial investment compared to traditional boilers
They can be limited to certain spaces

5. Dual Fuel Heat Pumps

Dual fuel (or hybrid) heat pumps combine an electric heat pump with a gas (or oil) furnace and, like geothermal heat pumps, can provide both heating and cooling for your home.

They use electricity as the main source of heat until temperatures drop to a certain point, at which time they switch to gas to maintain the required room temperatures.

Pros of Dual Fuel Heat Pumps

Can be more efficient than geothermal heat pumps
Can be used to cool as well as heat
Are versatile and good at responding to quick changes in weather conditions

Cons of Dual Fuel Heat Pumps

Can be expensive to install
Can require significant maintenance
Still requires fossil fuels

Heating Innovations Help Create Energy-Efficient New Builds

These are just a few transformational heating innovations to consider for new builds. Choosing the right heating system upgrades for a new construction custom home isn’t an easy task, but it will be well worth it in the end.

Building an energy-efficient home is not only desirable, but may also even become mandatory in the future as energy-efficient upgrades continue to become available. In the meantime, there are cost savings on your energy bill and maybe even some tax credits as well.

Picking the right heating and cooling systems, and combining them with the right technology, will not only allow your new build property to reach net zero emissions, but it will also deliver significant savings on your energy expenditure.