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All they require is a small amount of
electricity to run a well pump and a heat pump. Geothermal heating and cooling
systems also operate much more efficiently than oil and gas furnaces. A
geothermal heating and cooling system, for example, can operate up to 75% more
efficiently than an oil furnace based heating system.
How Geothermal
Heating and Cooling Systems Work
It is important to first understand
that the earth maintains a fairly constant temperature. You may already have
recognized this fact if you have a basement that sits mostly below soil grade.
Even in the winter the temperature in a basement rarely dips below 50o (F). It
is the geothermal energy surrounding the foundation that keeps the basement
reasonably warm. Geothermal heating and cooling systems work by tapping a bit
deeper into the earth to extract heat from it and to transfer it into your home.
By boring a single or series of
vertical holes, or trenching in a network of horizontal pipes, into the earth a
closed or open loop piping system is created.
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During winter months, a water
solution circulating through the piping system transfers the earth’s energy to a
heat pump within the building. The heat pump concentrates the earth’s heat
energy and circulates it throughout the home via a heat exchanger. During summer
months, the system works in reverse to cool the home. Heat is transferred from
the home into the piping system.
Geothermal Heating
and Cooling
Benefits
Besides being extremely energy
efficient, geothermal HVAC systems also cause minimal environmental impact, as
they effectively require no fossil fuels to operate.
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In addition, they require little
space within the home, particularly when you consider the fact that they are
providing both heating and cooling. A typical geothermal HVAC system consists of
a heat pump and heat exchanger that combined requires the space of a small
refrigerator. They also are extremely quiet as there are no roaring furnace
sounds. Also, with an open loop standing vertical column well geothermal system,
minimal land is required.
Geothermal Heating
and Cooling System Costs
Geothermal heating and cooling
systems are not inexpensive to install. You can expect to pay somewhere between
$20 and $35K to install one, depending upon the size of your home and the local
terrain. Drilling a standing vertical column well or trenching in a horizontal
piping system is an expensive endeavor. In addition, geothermal heat pumps are
about twice the cost of a regular heat pump system that supports air
conditioning as well.
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Photo Courtesy of DRAGIN Geothermal
Drilling |
This said, the cost savings compared to operating an oil or propane heating
system, and an electric air conditioning system, is very high. For example, with
a 2,000 square foot home utilizing a geothermal heating and cooling system, you
could expect to see annual operating costs less than $400, whereas with a
conventional oil furnace system and a couple of electrically operated air
conditioners you could easily pay $2,500 in annual energy costs. In addition, a
geothermal HVAC system is eligible for a 30% federal government tax credit for
the cost of the system. Consequently you could expect to recoup your initial
investment in a geothermal HVAC system in as little as 10 years, in a retrofit
installation. In a new home construction project the timeline could be much
shorter.
In addition to the annual energy cost savings, the market value of a home with
an installed geothermal heating system would also be expected to be higher.
Potential homebuyers seeing the lower annual operating energy costs for the home
will undoubtedly recognize the value as they evaluate the total annual costs
(mortgage, property taxes, insurances, and utilities) of owning the home.
So if you have plans to build a new home, or have plans to install a new heating
and cooling system, you may want to take a closer look at geothermal HVAC
systems. They’re return on investment as well as their eco-friendly benefits may
just outweigh their higher installations costs for your home.
For information on
Restoring Baseboard Heating Element Covers, see the
Restoring Baseboard Heating Element Covers Ebook from
HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Restoring Baseboard Heating Element
Covers Ebook provides easy to understand, step-by-step instructions, on how to
restore Baseboard Heating Element Covers so that they look new again. Pictures are included for every key step in the process.
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For information on maximizing your
wood stove’s home heating efficiency see
the “Installation
of Hood over Wood Stove Ebook”.
Additional Geothermal Heating and Cooling
information from Amazon.com
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