Going Geothermal
Posted on November 29th, 2010 by Daniel
Ever wish you had an unlimited supply of thermal energy to keep you warm in the winter or cool in the summer? Well, you’ve always had it, but it was just not connected to you. There’s plenty of heat just below the Earth’s surface, and that’s where the benefits of a geothermal system come in.
The words “geo” (earth) and “thermal” (heat) literally mean “heat from the Earth.” Depending on your latitude, if you dig about 6 to 10 feet underground, the temperature of the earth is at a constant 45 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Scorching summers or blizzard winters, the heat underground stays relatively the same. This means you can run pipes from your home to the ground, to circulate a liquid to exchange heat, and control your temperature as needed.
For example, in the winter time, a geothermal heat pump moves the cold temperature into the ground, heats it up with the surrounding warmth of the earth, and brings the heat back up to the surface to warm up your indoor environment. Similarly, during the summer, the heat pump can reverse the process by moving the heat indoors to the ground where it’s cooler, and bring it back up for to cool down your environment.
Why Geothermal?
This process is a lot more efficient than using heating oil, gas, or electricity to heat up or cool down the surrounding air to a desired temperature.
According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, geothermal heat pumps use 25% to 50% less electricity compared to regular heating/cooling systems.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a geothermal system reduces the consumed energy (and related emissions) by as much as 44% compared to air-source heat pumps, and by as much as 72% compared to electric heating with standard air-conditioning. In addition, geothermal systems do a great job maintaining indoor relative humidity at 50%, making them even more advantageous for people living in humid areas.
Geothermal systems are very quiet, since they don’t have an outside condenser unit like air conditioners do. The key components are easily accessible for maintenance. Warranties on the underground piping last 25-50 years, and the actual heat pump should last 20+ years.
The Incentives
The federal government offers 30% off your total cost for a geothermal heat pump installation, in the form of a personal tax credit. At the state level, Maryland offers rebates of $2,000 (residential) to $7,000 (non-residential). The District of Columbia doesn’t have any incentives for geothermal at the time of writing. Virginia doesn’t have any state rebates, however utilities such as TVA offer loans of up to $10,000 through a 3rd-party lender at a 6%-8% 10-year term.
As you can see, geothermal is an efficient and eco-friendly alternative for heating and cooling purposes. It’s a win-win for you and the environment!
Tags: geothermal, hvac
This entry was posted on Monday, November 29th, 2010 at 6:29 pm and is filed under Featured Content, geothermal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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i wish my house had this!
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