Are You Eco-Friendly, Frugal, And Forward-Thinking? Geothermal Heating May Be Your Best Investment

Articles

If you're looking for a way to heat and cool your home that doesn't hurt the environment, provides reliable temperature control, and doesn't cost more than it saves you in the long run, the answer may be geothermal heating. Before you start looking at traditional heating and cooling units or solar panels, you should consider the financial and ecological benefits of harnessing the earth's own energy.

Help Protect The Environment

By using the heat of the earth itself to warm your home and boil your water, you can cut your carbon footprint drastically down to size. National Geographic estimates that for every unit of energy it takes to move heat from the earth to your home, 5 to 6 units are saved that would have been used for heat production. This means geothermal energy is more efficient than most traditional heating methods.

Geothermal pumps already replace furnaces and water heaters, but they can even replace air conditioners too. During the summer months, you can use a geothermal system to circulate cool air through your home at high efficiency as well, which means you can also cut down the energy usage of your comparatively less efficient air conditioner.

Sell Power To The Grid In Summer

When you don't need direct heat from the earth during the summer, you might be able to minimize future costs by selling your excess energy back to the grid. Power companies won't write you a check and actually buy the power, but if your home produces more energy than it uses, you could end up with a statement credit that lasts until you next have a balance. In climates with mild summers where air conditioning isn't often needed, you may be able to put a sizable dent in your winter heating costs this way.

As an added bonus, you'll also be making your neighbors more eco-friendly, since the power plant won't need to send out as much energy derived from fossil fuels. 

Have Frugal Yet Toasty Winter

While seasons on the surface of the earth cause it to swing from one temperature extreme to another through the year, the temperature below the surface stays fairly constant. As a result, warming your home with geothermal energy during the winter takes only a marginal amount of additional energy to keep the heat circulating. Water naturally retains heat longer than air, so pumps have a winter advantage over furnace-based heating. 

With geothermal, your typical energy bill will be up to 35% lower in any season, but in winter when other customers see their heating bill go up as much as 20% and your bill stays nearly the same, that's when the savings will be the most apparent.

Best of all, because geothermal heat pumps work by heating and circulating water, you'll be able to partner them with hydronic radiant heating in your home. This means your floors will be nice and warm even on the coldest winter mornings and you can take advantage of radiant heating's efficiency to further reduce your winter spending. 

Put Off Repairs For Decades

One of the best benefits of switching to geothermal is the longevity of a well-installed system. Most geothermal systems can easily last 25 years without needing serious repairs, and some have been known to last for decades longer. This is likely because the machinery is all protected, either underground or in a utility closet of your home. Outdoor heating and cooling units that must bear the brunt of the elements can break down within just 15 years.

Even if your geothermal system heating service does break down, it's almost always going to be the main box that needs fixing. This is far less expensive than buying a new system, since the bulk of the costs are associated with burying the heat-gathering elements. 

Geothermal heat pumps are a smart investment for someone who wants to save in the long-term and help protect the environment. If you have questions or want to look at your options, it's a good idea to talk to your local HVAC technician for answers. Frugal and green heating could be just an appointment away.

Share

22 June 2015

Learning About HVAC Services

Hi there, I am Nadine Bachmier. I am going to discuss the various ways HVAC contractors can keep the temperatures in your business stable. HVAC contractors focus on maintaining and repairing the air conditioner, furnace, and ductwork used in your building. To keep the heating and cooling system in good shape, contractors may need to replace internal components, clean out channels, or simply perform a full upgrade. I will talk about the tools and techniques used to maintain and repair the equipment in your building. I will also share information about new products as they hit the HVAC market. I hope you will follow along and learn all you can.