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Energy Saver (?): Heating Energy Methods
(continued ...) Most of the newer buildings that I visited in Europe had hot water (hydronic) heating with high efficiency boilers. The construction was still commonly thick masonry but I expect they have added insulating layers in their modern construction.
I have had some travels in the northeast of the United States. I noticed that many buildings are heated with products such as fuel oil. Of those New England states buildings, many used hot water boilers with large cast iron radiators. A few systems I noticed were still using steam. Steam is a fantastic method to transport heating energy as it involves a phase change with water. Because of the phase change, steam can also be dangerous if not designed, installed and maintained well. At the turn of the last century many steam systems were converted to hot water. Steam heating in residential applications is a dying art. Steam heating design versus virtually any other system is complicated and not very forgiving. Steam system maintenance is high and it is a skill that is hard to find when needed. Compare steam to hot water (hydronics) or forced air systems and you will find a large gap in the amount of knowledge needed for a successful design, installation and ongoing maintenance.
In mid to northern Michigan, I notice the popular method of heating is using outdoor wood fired boilers with a hydronic (hot water) loop to the house. This is likely an economically driven choice as there is still lots of wooded areas in Michigan. Couple that with the remote areas that people live in Michigan … there just isn't a lot of options for heating. If you're a Michigan land owner, you likely have all the fuel you need; for free. Otherwise, the alternative heating energy source is likely propane.