An inspector under the InterNACHI® Home Inspection Standards of Practice is tasked with describing the property's heating source, which can range from solar heating and heat pumps to traditional forms like fossil fuels and wood stoves.
The InterNACHI® Home Inspection Standards of Practice requires an inspector to describe the heating source of a home. A variety of heating sources are used in residential properties, including solar heating, heat pumps, fossil fuels, and wood stoves. Solar heating, as described on page 218, Section 13.8.1, is a system that captures heat directly from the sun to provide hot water and home heating, which can be as straightforward as having a south-facing window.
A heat pump, mentioned in a different excerpt, is capable of transferring heat from the ambient air or ground without generating it through combustion or resistance. Furthermore, most power plants, as outlined in the generic power plant scheme (Figure 6.2), utilize a heat source like fossil fuels, nuclear, solar thermal, or geothermal to generate steam that subsequently produces electricity. These sources of heat are evaluated not only for their heating capabilities but also for their potential in electricity generation.