Unlike an air source heat pump with its outside condenser coil and fan, a geothermal heat pump relies on fluid filled pipes buried beneath the earth as a source of heating in the winter and cooling during the summer.
In each season, the temperature of the earth is closer to the desired temperature of the building than the outdoor air; therefore less energy is used to maintain comfort. Eliminating the outside equipment means higher efficiency, less maintenance, longer equipment life, no noise, and no inconvenience of having to mow around that outdoor condensing unit.
In the U.S., $200 billion are spent each year to heat, cool and run 95 million homes and 5 million office buildings. Based on that, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that energy use could be cut 30-70% by making buildings more efficient. One of the best ways to do this is to install a geothermal comfort system, its high efficiencies allow home owners to save up to 70% in operating costs compared with electric resistance heating, up to 50% over air source heat pumps, and up to 45% over fossil-fuel furnaces. All of the energy needed for your heating and cooling can be found right in your own back yard.
The buried pipes in the geothermal systems usually have a 25-year warranty. Most of the experts believe the piping will last longer because is made of durable plastic with heat sealed connections, and the circulating fluids have an anticorrosive additive. Geothermal systems cost $800 to $1400 more per ton to install than air source units. The actual cost varies according to the difficulty of installing the ground loops as well as the size and features of the equipment. For further information on Geothermal systems call or e-mail us. Also feel free to go to the following links:
