Geothermal Heat, the Earth, and You
If you’ve ever gone spelunking (no, not throwing rocks into ponds spelunking) or cave exploring then you understand basically how geothermal heating works. It essentially taking the relatively cool constant temperature of the earth’s crust (about 55 degrees Fahrenheit) and bringing it up to help cool a home in the summer, or heating it in the winter.
In a building that uses geothermal heating, a pump brings 55-degree groundwater up into a heat pump. The pump extracts the heat from the water and sends cooler water back into the earth. In the summer, the process is reversed by pulling hot air from the house and sending it down to the earth.
Since geothermal heat pumps are more efficient than air-to-air heat pumps, and because the ground water is closer to the desired indoor temperature than the air outside, geothermal pumps use less electricity and work better in colder climates than the original heat pumps did.
Currently, there is a generous tax credit that pays for 30 percent of a geothermal system’s cost. Despite the government incentive, some find it difficult to fund the $40,000 – $60,000 upgrade to their current heating system.
However, once the new geothermal heating system is in place, heating and energy savings are substantial. Keeping heat and energy bills roughly the same throughout the year. Geothermal heat pumps offer high efficiency and a low operational cost. According to the EPA, geothermal heating/cooling systems can save homeowners 30 to 70 percent on heating and 20 to 50 percent on cooling costs over conventional systems.
As an added consideration, some homes are being outfitted with solar panels in addition to the geothermal heat pump. By using the energy provided by the solar panels, the heat pump can be nearly self sufficient energy wise by using the suns energy to power the pump.
It’s an amazing way to save on electricity without sacrificing comfort.
Despite the initial cost, the savings are immense and the return on investment is nearly equal.
Perhaps as technology improves and the cost of installation is reduced consumers will find time to go spelunking into the wonders of geothermal heating.
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