There are no negative health impacts of geothermal cooling, and no net negative environmental impacts either! In some cases, geothermal HVAC may still not be fully renewable because some utilities providers only supply electricity sourced from nonrenewable energy. So, in the big picture, using geothermal instead of conventional AC reduces your environmental footprint. Geothermal is also better than conventional HVAC when it comes to impacts on human health. When you turn on the heat in the winter, conventional combustion-based heating systems create carbon monoxide as a byproduct, which is poisonous and causes sickness or even death.
With geothermal, there are no health hazards to you or your loved ones! Even better, the air quality inside your home remains pure, as there are no fumes or particulate matter created by burning fossil fuels. On a broad scale, this applies not only to the air quality of your home, but also to our atmosphere in general.
Upgrading to geothermal HVAC is one of the most impactful things you can do to support a healthier environment. Air conditioners in the U. Geothermal is a healthy, safe, and sustainable alternative to conventional AC systems, which have negative consequences on both the environment and on human health. Thinking about upgrading to geothermal AC for the summer? Get in touch with us here!
Share this article. Follow Us. Recent Posts. Get the latest news and stories about geothermal straight to your inbox. Full Name This field is required. Email This field is required. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, geothermal heating and cooling systems have the lowest cost over their lifetime compared to traditional systems. And perhaps the most convenient benefit is that geothermal systems are generally eligible for rebates and require less maintenance than conventional units.
Since the major components of a geothermal heating and cooling system are buried, taking advantage of the temperature that is simply in the ground, they often have warranties of up to fifty years. And inside the home, the geothermal heat pump unit has a lifecycle at an average of twenty-five years, making them one of the most long-lasting systems on the market. If you have an existing house with high energy bills, it most likely means you currently use propane, oil, or electricity for heating and cooling.
Engineered and Assembled in the USA. Transparency in the Supply Chain. Privacy Policy Linking Policy. Terms and Conditions. A geothermal heating and cooling system is also known as a ground-source heat pump. Instead of the more common air-source heat pump, a geothermal system relies on the stable, even heat of the earth to provide heating, air conditioning and, in most cases, hot water.
The antifreeze mixture carries heat to or from the home as needed. In some cases an open-loop system using a ground-water source may be possible depending on water quality and quantity. Manufacturers such as Enertech offer geothermal products for retrofit situations with a minimum of alterations.
In a home with an existing forced-air system powered by propane, heating oil or natural gas, a geothermal system can use existing ductwork and mechanical spaces. If the existing furnace or boiler in a home is 20 years old or more, it may make sense to replace it with a geothermal system. If the current system has a pilot light, it was likely installed prior to and has an efficiency of roughly 65 percent. Geothermal systems are percent to percent efficient, so the operational costs will be significantly reduced.
If the furnace is 10 to 20 years old, and has growing maintenance costs or does not heat or cool the home comfortably, an experienced dealer can help evaluate the wisdom of upgrading.
Compared to a typical forced-air furnace, a geothermal system provides for more even heating and cooling. Instead, the geothermal system runs longer but with less intensity, making for a comfortable, quiet setting in the home. Surveys by utilities have found that more than 95 percent of all geothermal heat pump owners would recommend a similar system to their friends and family.
Improved comfort can also mean lower operating costs. Actual savings depend on the climate where the home is located, local energy rates and the thermostat settings. However, studies from the U. Environmental Protection Agency indicate that most homeowners will see a reduction of 30 percent to 40 percent in their heating and cooling costs.
In addition, the EPA reports that geothermal systems have the lowest life- cycle cost of all heating and cooling systems on the market. Ground source heat pumps and direct use geothermal technologies serve heating and cooling applications, while deep and enhanced geothermal technologies generally take advantage of a much deeper, higher temperature geothermal resource to generate electricity.
A ground source heat pump takes advantage of the naturally occurring difference between the above-ground air temperature and the subsurface soil temperature to move heat in support of end uses such as space heating, space cooling air conditioning , and even water heating. A ground source or geoexchange system consists of a heat pump connected to a series of buried pipes. One can install the pipes either in horizontal trenches just below the ground surface or in vertical boreholes that go several hundred feet below ground.
The heat pump circulates a heat-conveying fluid, sometimes water, through the pipes to move heat from point to point. A commercial-scale ground source heat pump system. This example is a demonstration project at a university. Credit: Craig Miller Productions, NREL If the ground temperature is warmer than the ambient air temperature, the heat pump can move heat from the ground to the building.
The heat pump can also operate in reverse, moving heat from the ambient air in a building into the ground, in effect cooling the building. For every unit of electricity used in operating the system, the heat pump can deliver as much as five times the energy from the ground, resulting in a net energy benefit.
Heat pumps can support space heating and cooling needs in almost any part of the country, and they can also be used for domestic hot water applications.
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