Types

• Many types of wood burning furnace alternatives exist, including passive and active solar heating, electric heating and gas heating. Solar heating generally requires an initial installment cost, but does not cost much after a system is set up. Electric and gas heating usually cost money in the form of a monthly utilities bill, although active solar heating can generate electricity.
  
  

Passive Solar Types

• Passive solar heating can warm a home in place of a wood burning furnace. The Arizona Solar Center explains that passive solar heating works best when builders create a home designed to use heat from the sun as efficiently as possible. Some ways to use passive solar heating include opening south-facing window curtains during the day to let heat in, closing curtains at night to hold heat in, and using building materials that help hold in heat, like concrete or brick.
  
  

Active Solar Heating

• Active solar heating systems use sunlight to generate electricity to heat a home. The Arizona Solar Center explains that active solar heating comes from solar panels and that builders increasingly use built-in designs to generate electricity from sunlight. Although homeowners will have to purchase solar panels, they often save money in the long run in firewood and electricity or gas bills.
  
  

Electric Heating Systems

• A variety of electric heating systems exist, and solar energy or fossil fuel energy can power them. An alternative to wood burning furnaces that does not require installation is a portable electric heater. A variety of electric heaters exist, with different looks and sizes, and they run on electricity from a wall outlet. Homes usually also come with built-in electric heating, such as heat vents in walls or floors, heated ceilings or heated floors.
  
  

Natural Gas Heating

• The U.S. Department of Energy explains that most homes in the U.S. use natural gas to fuel their heat. Natural gas can generate electricity to fuel heating systems, but some heaters use the gas more directly. For example, gas stoves burn gas directly to heat up. Individuals with gas stoves can cook and heat up water on the stove rather than heating up water on top of a wood burning furnace.