WHO KNEW How Important It Is to Think Ahead About Replacing Your Heating/Cooling System Long Before You Need One?
When your heating system dies in the January cold, there isn’t much time to look at all the options and their ramifications. So, if your system is nearing the end of its life, think early about how you will replace it, and be sure to include these three important considerations: 1) Efficiency, to reduce your overall energy usage; 2) Electrification, to reduce your dependence on fossil fuels; and 3) Solar power, as a source of your electricity.
In addition, performing an energy audit and weatherizing your house could save energy and capital expense when you finally install a new heating system. One Hanover resident weatherized his house and saved 25% on his electricity costs. Such savings might help reduce the size of the future heating/cooling system you will need.
Power from renewable energy sources is available by installing your own solar installation or by selecting the 50 or 100% renewable energy option in your community power plan. Enfield, Hanover, Lebanon, and Plainfield have had community power since April 2023, and more Upper Valley towns are hopping on board.
Finally, consider efficient, electric, cold weather heat pumps that are available now. They heat in the winter and cool in the summer. Here is alink <https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/07/21/europe-heat-wave-heat-pump/> to a Washington Post article about heat pumps. Also check out Clean Energy NH and the NH Department of Energy for information about rebates on the purchase of heat pumps.
Plan ahead, save money and energy, and help our planet, as well.