When I initially considered the installation of a geothermal heat pump, the startup costs scared me off.
This type of system is far more expensive than a more conventional option.
However, there are rebates and tax incentives that help to offset the cost. Plus the initial price has come down in recent years. Researching further, I learned that upgrading to a geothermal unit can cut heating and cooling bills by fifty percent. I also liked the idea of reducing my family’s carbon footprint. The main expense of installing a geothermal heat pump is the excavation necessary to implement the underground loop. The loop takes advantage of the relatively stable year-round temperature underground. The ground absorbs free and renewable energy provided by the sun. This heat is transported by way of the loop system into the home. Because there is no need to burn fossil fuels, there are no worries over combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide. There are no fumes, hot surfaces or greenhouse gasses. The operation is safe, clean and considered the most environmentally friendly by the EPA. In the summer, the heat pump reverses direction. It pulls heat out of the house and transfers it into the ground, creating a cooling effect. Geothermal heat pumps achieve around a 400% efficiency rating. The operation creates four units of energy for every one unit needed to run the equipment. Installed inside the home and protected from the elements, the heat pump can be expected to last upwards of twenty years. The underground loop is warrantied for fifty years and should last twice that long.