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Amish Space Heater: Is it a LEED Certified Product?

 
Question:

Kathy asks: Hi, I was wondering if there is any sort of LEED Certification for the Amish space heater? Is it really energy efficient?

Hi Kathy, thank you for your question. Firstly, the green building rating system Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (aka "LEED") does not certify products. The LEED rating system certifies buildings which have specific characteristics and are rated according to their environmental performance.

There are a range of green products certification organizations, in addition to Green-Buildings.com, (such as Green Seal and Cradle to Cradle) that offer certification services for various green products.

The most widely advertised Amish heater, which is the "Heat Surge" or "Miracle Heater" is actually manufactured in China. The wooden box/frame that it comes in is advertised as being built by the Amish. According to Consumer Reports, the Miracle Heater is more or less a standard, fan-forced convection-type heater as is commonly available by other companies selling them in the United States and elsewhere.

In terms of saving money, and being efficient, Consumer Reports states that any similarly sized electric heater can produce the same amount of heat, in a standard "zone type" environment, as the Miracle Heater... so it appears that the unit is not more efficient that others on the market. However, the level of finish of this space heater is more along the lines of an electric fireplace, which can function as the centerpiece or focal point in a room. So you are getting a much more decorative, finished piece of "furniture".

Also, from a cost standpoint, depending on when you are using the heater (peak hours vs. off-peak), since it is powered by electricity it may cost as much as two and a half times more than natural gas, which is what many homes use. So unless you ask "efficient compared to what?" the claim of efficiency may be somewhat misleading. There are also less expensive options out there from big box stores which can increase your return on investment for heating a room.

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Expert Advice and Comments

Practally all electric heaters are "efficient"

Sat, 10/03/2009 - 10:51 — Tim Sauder (not verified)

All electric heaters emit 100% of the electrical energy they receive as heat. The only exception to this would be the tiny amount of energy its fan uses to move air through the heater. And even if the fan motor were "inefficient" (i.e. overheating). The heat emitted by the motor would still help heat the room air!

Another small exception would be the ratio of radiant heat emitted vs the amount of hot-air heat emitted (convection). Heated air quickly rises to the ceiling where it is less useful. Radiant heat is that kind warm mostly invisible infrared light you soak up sitting by a campfire. So if you need to heat a small spot (i.e. you curled up with book) in big drafty old room, radiant heat is what you need. But if you are heating a whole, well insulated room; ALL electric heat is equally (100%) "efficient". Note that the "Amish" heater is a convection-type (hot air) heater, so it's quite useless in a drafty old Amish farmhouse without electricity.

Concerning fossil fuel furnaces on the other hand efficiency is a very important quality, because those furnaces need to exhaust combustion gases to the outside; any heat that is exhausted outside is lost, thus the smaller the portion of heat exhausted, the more efficient furnace is.

Electric heaters are no more, or less, green than your electric source. And these "Amish" electric heaters are certainly not any more "efficient" than the cheapest electric space heater sold at Walmart!

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