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Geothermal Options has the knowledge and expertise to help you choose the right geothermal system for your home or business.
We deal with only the best system dealers and installers to make sure your installation is done correctly and your system
operates efficiently.
Geothermal heat pump technology is a mature technology that offers significant savings in energy use for heating and cooling
of residential and commercial buildings. The technology is cost-effective with a 5-10 year payback period. Already, approximately
one million geothermal heat pump units have been installed in the U.S.
Geothermal heat pumps operate on the same basic principle as refrigerators, air conditioners, and conventional (air-source)
heat pumps. They differ in that they use the ground as a heat reservoir instead of the outside air. They access the heat
of the earth through plastic or copper pipes laid in the ground.
Geothermal heat pumps are not to be confused with systems that use region-specific geothermal energy of the earth, such as
hot springs or thermal steam vents, to heat. Geothermal heat pumps can be used practically anywhere, for heating and cooling.
Geothermal systems use the constant temperature of the earth, in most places 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit just a few feet below
the surface, to heat and cool efficiently. The heat pump unit moves the heat from the building into the ground in the summer,
and moves the heat of the ground into the building in the winter. The heat pump technology achieves the movement of heat
from a cooler place to a warmer place by the expansion and contraction of a refrigerant. The refrigerant is a special, environmentally
safe material that can be either a liquid or a gas at a wide range of temperatures by controlling its pressure.
There are two basic types of geothermal systems: direct-exchange and water-source. The former run the copper lines carrying
refrigerant directly into the ground to exchange heat with the soil, while the latter first exchange heat inside the indoor
unit with water in a plastic pipe, and that water pipe then runs into the ground to exchange heat with the soil. The water-source
technology has a head start due to its use in industrial applications, while direct-exchange can be more efficient to operate
and cheaper to install.
Advantages for the user:
-Costs far less to heat or cool a building, a 30-70% savings over conventional systems. For example, a 2000 square foot house
in Connecticut can be heated for as little as $40 per winter month. The US EPA has called geothermal systems the most efficient
heating and cooling technology available.
-Systems last longer than conventional heating and cooling systems. The indoor unit is normally guaranteed for 10 years and
will last 20, and the in-ground pipes are usually guaranteed for 55 years. There are no outdoor components.
-There is no combustion producing carbon monoxide, soot, or the danger of fire.
-Because there is no outdoor fan unit, the systems are silent outdoors. The inside unit is as quiet as a refrigerator.
-The systems run on electricity and need no gas, oil, or propane.
Advantages for the community/government/electric utility:
-The systems are more efficient than conventional central air-conditioning systems and thus reduce peak power consumption
in the summer, avoiding the building of new power plants and distribution lines.
-The systems use electricity instead of gas or oil to heat, and thus increase use of electricity in the winter, when grid
electricity use is at a minimum. Thus the installation of these systems is revenue-neutral and cost-reducing for utilities.
-The extra cost of the systems is due to digging and drilling to bury the pipes. This money goes to local, working-class
labor and local heating/air-conditioning and drilling companies, not foreign manufacturers.
-There are established manufacturers of the technology in the U.S. and Canada, including companies in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts,
Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
References for further reading:
-From the US Dept. of Energy:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/heatpumps.html
-From a New York State agency: http://www.nyserda.org/programs/geothermal
-Article on heat pumps in general: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump
-Geothermal heat pumps: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_heat_pump
-Copper industry association on direct exchange heat pumps: http://www.copper.org/applications/plumbing/heatpump/dxhp_main.html
-Leading manufacturer of water-source heat pumps: http://www.waterfurnace.com
-Leading manufacturer of direct-exchange heat pumps: http://www.ecrtech.com
-TV news story on a geothermal installation in Massachusetts: http://wbztv.com/projectmass/geothermal.energy.Accuaire.2.705319.html
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