Geothermal Heating and Cooling

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Studies show that approximately 70 percent of the energy used in a geothermal

heating and cooling system is renewable energy from the ground.

The earth’s constant temperature is what makes geothermal heat pumps one of the most efficient, comfortable, and quiet heating and cooling technologies available today.

While they may be more costly to install initially than regular heat pumps, they can produce markedly lower energy bills – 30 percent to 40 percent lower, according to estimates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who now includes geothermal heat pumps in the types of products rated in the EnergyStar program.

Because they are mechanically simple and outside parts of the system are below ground and protected from the weather, maintenance costs are often lower as well.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling Cost

As a rule of thumb, a geothermal heat pump system costs about $2,500 per ton of capacity. The typically sized home would use a three-ton unit costing roughly $7,500.

That initial cost is nearly twice the price of a regular heat pump system that would probably cost about $4,000, with air conditioning.

When energy costs are figured in, geothermal heating and cooling systems are

probably cheaper. If the extra price for the geothermal system is included in an energy efficiency mortgage, the homeowner could have a positive cash flow from the beginning.

The extra $3,500 cost of the more efficient system may add $30 per month to each mortgage payment – an amount more than offset by the savings on the homeowner’s utility bill.

Added to an already built home, an efficient geothermal system saves enough on utility bills that the investment can be recouped in two to ten years.

Durability

Geothermal heat pumps are durable and require little maintenance. They have fewer mechanical components than other systems, and most of those components are underground, sheltered from the weather.

The underground piping used in the system is often guaranteed to last 25 to 50 years and is virtually worry-free. The components inside the house are small and easily accessible for maintenance. Warm and cool air is distributed through ductwork, just as in a regular forced-air system.

Since geothermal heating and cooling systems have no outside condensing units like air conditioners, they are quieter to operate.

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