with Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems.
Geothermal heating and cooling has recently been thrust into the forefront of ecologically green and financially efficient methods of residential and commercial heating and cooling. Originally developed for large scale energy production and then utilized by large utility corporations and petroleum companies, the cost was prohibitive for any smaller communities or individual family use. This has now changed in one aspect. It has now become financially feasible for individual families, homeowners, and independent business owners to heat and cool the home or other structure with minimal monthly expense.
While the initial cost of having a geothermal system installed to produce heat in the winter and cold air in summer may seem costly, the monthly savings on every utility bill makes it a pleasure to invest in and operate. Geothermal heat pumps, which may be referred to as GHP or geoexchange systems, will save the homeowner 30-70 percent in heating costs and 20-50 percent in cooling costs according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is estimated that it will only take 3-10 years to recover the costs of installing a geothermal heat pump system.
The reason for such great interest and development in geothermal energy, heating, and cooling is that it is the most efficient manner to date to produce energy with the least greenhouse emissions. Heating and cooling a home using a system such should not be viewed solely as an expense, but a definite return on an investment regardless of whether the homeowner stays or decides to sell in the future. Coupled with the fact that it is an ecologically responsible method of heating and cooling, tax incentives are available and other government programs actually will subsidize part of the cost to the homeowner to install a geothermal system.
There are different types of geothermal systems, such as closed loop, open loop, and direct exchange setups, but the main operating principals are the same. While closed loop and direct exchange systems are often much less expensive to install, open loop systems can be more efficient, but require a nearby source of water such as a pond or well and more maintenance depending on the quality of water source. Regardless of the type of system being installed, the fact remains that geothermal heating and cooling can easily save multi-thousands of dollars over every two year span for the homeowner.
For more information and guidance about heating, ventilation, air conditioning and water heaters, visit http://www.comfortzonepa.com. Comfort Zone specializes in improving home efficiency with HVAC and other home mechanical services.
