Apartment buildings and condominiums are home to families with different comfort preferences or attitudes on energy use. Similarly, many commercial buildings are divided into spaces where tenants have different temperature requirements or usage schedules.

Last month, we looked at a piping approach for adding a pellet boiler and panel radiators to an existing two-zone baseboard system. The system’s original oil-fired boiler was being retained as an auxiliary heat source. 

Over the last several years, I’ve been reviewing submittals for proposed heating systems using pellet-fired boilers. The submittals come from heating professionals ranging from contractors to professional engineers. They’re required for a state incentive program that offers significant rebates to encourage growth of the biomass heating market.

Nearly all systems using cordwood gasification or pellet-fueled boilers perform best when the system includes a thermal storage tank. 

Geothermal energy has been making big headlines recently, and the consensus is clear that geothermal offers a path toward clean energy goals.

It’s been a while since this column addressed solar thermal applications. 

There is an increasing awareness — among consumers and governments alike — that climate change and greenhouse gas emissions have a severely harmful impact on the environment. 

Whenever a hydronic system is divided into several zones, it’s worth considering a buffer tank between the heat source and distribution system.