Natural Home Heating

For the Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2003

Contact: Jon-Mikel Gates, Publicity Assistant, 802-295-6300 x 111
jgates@chelseagreen.com

New book shows homeowners how to protect their homes from blackouts, grid failure, high oil prices by presenting a wide range of renewable home heating strategies.

With oil prices on the rise and turmoil in the Middle East, it’s easy to see how our current dependence on fossil fuels leaves us in a very precarious position. We rely so heavily on non-renewable resources like coal, oil, and natural gas, that a shift in politics or the environment could spell disaster for our high-consumption way of life.

Consider: 5.5 billion gallon of #2 fuel oil will be used in the Northeast this winter. That’s 80% of the total used in the US. 95% of American homes are heated with fossil fuels, and heating costs could double or even triple in the event of a severe fuel crisis. It’s time to reevaluate the way we heat the buildings we live in, and Greg Pahl, an authority on alternative energy for more than 20 years, has come to the rescue with a comprehensive guide to renewable energy options. Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options, will be published this October by Chelsea Green of White River Junction, Vermont.

A valuable resource for those seeking to build a new energy-efficient home, or for those retrofitting an existing heating system, Pahl explains the ins and outs of all renewable home-heating options. He describes active and passive systems for harvesting energy from the oldest renewable resource- the sun, as well as guidelines for using wood stoves and masonry heaters, biomass products like corn and pellets, and geothermal heat pumps. While there are a few books on the market that discuss individual strategies (woodstoves, masonry heaters, etc.), there are none that discuss all of the options availableæsolar, wood, pellets, corn, biodiesel, geothermalæmaking this title unique and timely.

Pahl’s extensive knowledge and research will assist homeowners in selecting the home heating system that best fits their needs, highlighting the costs, advantages, disadvantages, and technological developments of each option. The mission of Natural Home Heating is to give readers “the information that you need to make intelligent, informed decisions about your renewable home heating options” while minimizing environmental and financial impact.

“The use of fossil fuels and electricity accounts for about 95 percent of home heating in the United States,” Pahl says. “And when you consider that fossil fuels and nuclear energy combined account for 91 percent of electrical generation in this country, you begin to understand just how unsustainable our nation’s heating practices are. Frankly, I was shocked by these statistics.”

Finally, there is a book that makes it easy to end dependence on unreliable fossil fuels, all while saving money and helping the earth.

Dear Editor/Reviewer

America’s reliance on fossil fuels has reached a level that is frankly quite scary. Rising fuel prices and turmoil in the Middle East make our oil dependence a dangerous addiction, and our excessive use of these fuels is a great contributor to global warming and a wide range of health concerns.

At a time like this, people want to know what they can do to make their lives safer, stable, and more secure. What can the average homeowner do to help wean this country from its oil addiction? Greg Pahl has the answer.

One of the best ways to decrease fossil fuel consumption is to alter the way we heat our homes. 95% of American homes are currently heated with fossil fuels, but with the help of alternative energy expert Pahl, we can learn to use efficient, renewable resources to keep warm.

Pahl describes all of the available home-heating options in an easy-to-follow manner in Natural Home Heating, from Chelsea Green Publishing. Whether you’re looking to build a new energy-efficient home, or to retrofit your existing heating system, you’ll find extensive information and clear explanations. He describes active and passive systems for harvesting solar energy, as well as guidelines for using wood stoves and masonry heaters, biomass products like corn and pellets, and geothermal heat pumps.

In addition to their environmental benefits, the alternative methods in this book will show readers how to make their home heating system more efficient and cost-effective, saving them money in the long run. With renewable energy, everyone wins, there’s never been an easier, more readable guide to doing your part than Greg Pahl’s Natural Home Heating.

So if you’d like to bask in the warmth from your efficient wood stove, enjoying the satisfaction that you’re helping create a more secure future for your grandchildren, then pick up Natural Home Heating and start warming up.

Warmly,
Allison Lennox

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Natural Home Heating:
The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options

By Greg Pahl

Contact: Jon-Mikel Gates Chelsea Green Publishing 802.295.6300 x 111 jgates@chelseagreen.com

1. What is the oldest type of renewable home heating?

2. What types of renewable home heating options are available today?

3. What is the difference between an active and a passive solar heated home?

4. What is the best renewable home heating strategy?

5. What are the main types of renewably fueled home heating appliances?

6. What is the key element that makes a home heating system renewable?

7. Are some renewable home heating strategies better suited for new home construction rather than a renovation project?

8. How does a masonry heater work?

9. How does a corn-fired stove, furnace, or boiler work?

10. How does a heat pump work?

QUICK TIPS:

1. If you spend a lot of time on the floor of your home with your young children, you might want to consider a radiant hydronic (hot water) floor system.

2. It is almost always cost-effective to spend more up front for a well-installed, high-quality, high-efficiency heating system or appliance that will save you money over the life of the system or appliance.

3. A masonry heater kit, which supplies the complicated internal components (as well as instructions on how to assemble them), can be built by a competent mason in considerably less time than would be required for a traditional, built-from-bricks design.

4. If you want to burn wood, but are away from home frequently during the winter, consider a pellet-fired boiler or furnace; some models only need to be refueled every few days (or once a week on some models).

5. A heat pump can both heat and cool your home, an important feature in climates that have both cold winters and hot summers.

FACTS AND STATISTICS:

1. The use of fossil fuels and electricity (which is generated mostly by burning fossil fuels) accounts for about 95 percent of home heating in the United States.

2. Because of their reliance on fossil fuels, heating systems in the United States emit one billion tons of carbon dioxide and substantial amounts of other pollutants annually.

3. Enough solar energy strikes the Earth in an hour to power all human activities for an entire year.

4. Biodiesel, a renewable diesel fuel substitute that can also be used as a home heating fuel, is easily made through a simple chemical process from virtually any vegetable oil, recycled cooking oil, or animal fats. If everyone in the Northeast used just a 5 percent biodiesel blend, it could save 50 million gallons of regular heating oil a year.

5. The 650,000 geothermal ground source heat pump systems presently installed in this country equal 14 million barrels of crude oil saved per year.