Looking for a way to go green with low upfront costs and low ongoing cost, as well as producing the least greenhouse emissions? Consider geothermal heating and cooling solutions.
How Does It Work?
Geothermal uses the energy in the earth to heat and cool a building. Ground loops are drilled into the bedrock below a building, then connected to a heat pump and distribution system, where a water-based solution is then fed through the pipes of the ground loops extracting energy from the ground.
Geothermal is designed to keep a consistent temperature year-round in a building. During cooler temperatures, heat energy is removed from the ground and distributed through the heat pump to the building’s HVAC system. Similarly, during warmer months, the cooler ground absorbs the warm energy from the building and replaces it with cooler air.
Just how efficient is it? For every unit of electricity used, four units of heating or cooling are delivered into the buildings from the earth, making a geothermal heat pump 400% efficient. A traditional fossil fuel furnace is about 90% efficient on average.
Why Geothermal?
Geothermal solutions help property owners eliminate fossil fuels as a source for heating and cooling buildings, which reduces their carbon footprint. A geothermal HVAC system is considered one of the most efficient systems on the market, and the ground loops are durable—lasting as long as 100 years!
Multiple buildings can be connected on a system, and building owners see immediate cost savings. There is also a revenue potential without a need for any upfront investment if multiple buildings are connected to a community system.
A geothermal system is the most efficient HVAC solution and has the lowest carbon footprint. There is no additional outdoor equipment needed, leading to lower maintenance costs.
If you’re worried about upfront cost, there are tax credits available of up to 40% for the cost of the ground loops, heat pumps, and related HVAC equipment. Additionally, in certain areas of the country, there are rebates available for the balance of the cost of the project. Geothermal systems typically pay for themselves within a few years.
Make Geothermal Work For You
If you’re interested in learning more about geothermal as a heating and cooling system for your building, reach out to an Energo Advisor!
