Benefits of Geothermal Heating and Cooling in the Home

Many homeowners want to be environmentally friendly, but think that the costs for environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems are too high. Actually, when you factor in the savings of using an environmentally friendly heating and cooling system such as solar heating panels or geothermal heating and cooling over time, the overall savings outweighs the initial cost.

Solar heating panels are generally installed on the southern facing roof of your home in order to get the most daylight. These panels transfer the heat into your hot water system or your heating system. While solar heating panels generally cost more than a conventional heating system, the savings that you receive over time will more than pay for the extra cost.

Geothermal heating and cooling is another great way to heat and cool your home while reducing your carbon foot print. Geothermal heat pumps are not only environmentally friendly, but they save homeowners money as well. While conventional furnaces burn fuel to generate heat, geothermal heating systems use electricity to move heated air from pipes within the earth into your home. During the summer the process is reversed. The heat from your home is pumped through pipes in the ground in order to dissipate the heat to the earth. There are four main types of loops that are used when installing pipes for geothermal heat pumps. Vertical loops go deep into the ground, horizontal loops are shallower and wider, and slinky loops curl like a spring. Pond loops are also used, but you need to live near a body of water to use them.

The use of geothermal energy in heating and cooling can save homeowners quite a bit of money. Because geothermal heat pumps generally use forty to seventy percent less electricity than conventional heating systems, homeowners generally save thirty to seventy percent on their heating and cooling bills. Geothermal heat pumps generally last longer than conventional systems and require less maintenance.

One major disadvantage of making use of geothermal energy for the home is that upfront costs are higher than the conventional heating and cooling systems. While the upfront cost is high, payback in heating and cooling savings can take as little as two years. Installation of such systems can also be eligible for tax credits in the United States of America. Temporary disturbance of the landscape is another drawback because trenching must be done in order to lay the pipes that harness the geothermal energy.

These environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems can be installed by an experienced heating and air conditioning contractor. If a homeowner has decided to make use of these systems, then they must make sure to employ the services of a qualified contractor only. A qualified contractor can also help determine which system is best for your home. There are many different factors to consider and it is best to let a professional contractor inform you of the benefits of the different systems in relation to your home.