What’s so quiet you can’t hear it, saves you a ton of money, and you can have it as soon as you want it?
Geothermal heat pumps – GSHPs to those in the business – are a different option for heating, cooling and domestic hot water systems with wide ranging benefits!
Geothermal systems use the constant temperature of the earth as the exchange medium instead of outside air. This allows the system to reach high rates of efficiency (350 – 500%) even on the coldest of winter nights, especially compared to air-source heat pumps on cool days. Although Geothermal systems have been around for more than 40 years, they’re not all that common in this area.
Because the heat is derived well below ground level, Geothermal systems are effective and reliable alternatives in most parts of the country. In fact, even just a few feet below ground level, the temperature ranges between 45°F (7°C) to 75°F (21°C) throughout the year. Like a cave, this ground temperature is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler than the air in the summer. The Geothermal system takes advantage of this by exchanging heat with the earth through a ground heat exchanger – what we in the business call an “Earth-Loop”.
For many years, in order to have a geothermal system in your home you needed to have adequate land for earth-loop to be installed (or you needed to have well water). This would normally rule out people living in town to have geothermal as a viable option but with technology advances in earth-loops, you now can have geothermal systems in your home even with limited lot size of your property. We have installed earth-loops where once was thought impossible. Depending on the style of earth-loop, there can be minimal yard tear-up too.
As with any heat pump, geothermal (a.k.a. water-source) heat pumps are able to provide heating and cooling for you home. But one additional benefit with most Geothermal systems is that they can also supply your home with hot water (ranging from 40 – 90% of your homes volume of hot water at energy efficiency levels between 400 – 550%)! Relative to air-source heat pumps, Geothermal systems are quieter, last longer and do not depend on the temperature of the outside air. Most Geothermal systems are self-contained in one piece of equipment (called a package unit) meaning the only heating/cooling system you have in your home sits inside (no more loud outdoor units).
Even though these systems initially cost more than your typical boiler of furnace-based system, consumers typically make up the difference in just five years thanks to truly incredible energy savings. In addition, Geothermal systems have extensive life spans: 20 – 25 years for the equipment and 50+ years for the earth-loop (most “Earth-Loop” piping systems have a life-time warranty). No furnace or air conditioning system even comes close to that!
There are many major benefits to placing these systems in your homes. For example, Geothermal systems use a whopping 25%–50% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems. Geothermal systems also improve humidity control by maintaining about 50% relative indoor humidity, making Geothermal systems a great choice in humid climates.
Other benefits include:
- Geothermal systems can be installed in new homes or to replace your current system, no matter what type it might be (gas furnace, electric furnace, heat pump, boiler system, etc);
- In most Geothermal systems there are fewer components than traditional heating and cooling systems, so this means there is less items to breakdown or wear out;
- Geothermal systems perform excellent with “zone-control” space conditioning, allowing areas within your home to be heated or cooled to different temperatures;
- Geothermal systems work well with other Indoor Air Quality equipment such as air filtrations systems, whole-home humidifiers, etc;
- A two-speed Geothermal system is so quiet that you’ll barely know when its operating: there are no tell-tale blasts of cold or hot air.
And due to government incentives, today there are many savings options! In fact, qualifying Geothermal systems installed between now and 2016 can get a 30% U.S. Federal Tax Credit with no maximum limit (businesses can receive a 10% tax credit with no maximum)! Also, most electric utility providers (Tipmont REMC, Parke County REMC, Duke) offer rebate programs for their clients who install Geothermal systems (rebates range from $200 – $2,000 based on which utility company and the size of the equipment). So what this really means is instead of taking 5 years for a Geothermal system to pay for itself, it now only takes 1.5 – 2 years!
As with any type of home comfort system; the reliability, energy efficiency and comfort level provided by the equipment are dependent on how the entire system is designed, installed and maintained. If Geothermal is something you’re interested in call your HVAC contractor to discuss the specific benefits you’re looking for. Remember; a professional HVAC contractor will take the time to prepare a custom solution based on your family’s wants and needs, review energy savings estimates, and provide you options on the different styles of Geothermal systems and earth-loops available.
