Let’s think about alternatives to fossil fuels

The world would look different today without fossil fuels. Thanks to them, the industrial revolution took place in the 19th century, they ensured economic growth – and climate change. Because coal, oil and gas emit a lot of greenhouse gases, and these are mainly responsible for global warming. In addition, their extraction is not completely without it. For example, the extraction of coal leaves huge craters in the landscape and the restoration of the areas is labour-intensive and time-consuming. We all know the images of what happens when an oil tanker capsizes at sea. But oil also seeps into the ground during extraction or drips from leaking pipes.

Besides making fossil fuels scarce and expensive, they are bad for the environment. But we actually know that. Despite this, more than half of the heating systems in Switzerland are replaced by heating systems that run on fossil fuels after their death. Because we think this is the easiest and cheapest way. In fact, most heating alternatives are cheaper in the long run in terms of maintenance and energy costs. And: you replace the stove once and dig a little in your pocket, that’s right. But then you contribute to environmental protection, which is extremely beneficial and does not affect everyday life – unlike turning down the gas or oil heating.

So if my gas stove ever gives up the ghost – and sooner or later it will – I would be very happy to replace it with a non-fossil alternative. But just. I can’t really imagine a lot of things. For example wood. It is said to be carbon neutral because the combustion releases as much carbon dioxide as the trees take from the atmosphere as they grow. Okay, maybe that’s a stupid idea, but cutting down forests for wood for heating isn’t exactly environmentally friendly now. The wood is burned in chips, pieces or pellets. It takes a lot, doesn’t it? Where do I store this stuff? I need an extra room! And somehow I imagine it a bit like a campfire. Smoke, soot, ash – it doesn’t just stink; they can’t be that good for the atmosphere either.

Second alternative: solar energy. Pretty logical. Solar collectors, for example on the roof of a house, catch the sun, as the name suggests, and radiate the heat where it goes. I admit that I find the idea of ​​solar panels on my roof quite sexy. It screams, “Look, I’m environmentalism in its purest form!” But dear people, we live in Switzerland. In Zurich, the hours of sunshine in 2021 were a measly 1734, which equates to 72.25 days of sunshine per year. That’s not really much. I doubt you can heat a house with it 365 days a year. Or is it?

Corina Schick, impulse advisor, BSc FHO energy and environmental technology, energy expert construction and GEAK expert at Unita GmbH

“When firing with wood, there are three options: wood chips, wood blocks or pellets. Due to their size, the former are mainly found in industry or public buildings. Log wood heating burns the wood almost without leaving any residue and is cheap to buy and run, but does require storage space. Pellets also burn very cleanly and a pellet storage room usually does not require more space than a fuel storage room for an oil heating system. Three-quarters of all pellets sold in Switzerland come from here. Swiss forest law stipulates that only as much wood may be used as can grow at the same time. Burning wood releases the same amount of CO₂ as if the wood were left to rot unused in the forest. So if you heat with local wood, you hardly have a negative impact on the climate.

Solar energy is very diverse and there are actually buildings here that are only heated with it. This requires the installation of a large storage tank, which can store the solar energy for several days. Photovoltaic systems are usually used to produce electricity and hot water, but also to support another heating system. The combination with, for example, a heat pump is ideal.”

How are you, dear users? Can you imagine heating with wood or sun? Do you have any questions? Or do you already have experience? Share them with us in the comment column.

Source: Blick