Geothermal Heating Versus Air Source Heating Pumps - Investment and Operational Costs

Author: Stig Kristoffersen

Use the natural heat storage capacity of the earth or ground water to provide energy efficient heating and cooling

Geothermal heating and cooling equipment is readily available in the marketplace and can be installed by any qualified contractor. The process is two-fold in that it involves installing the indoor unit and method of delivery, whether forced hot air or hydronic, and the outside pipe loop. Loop installation can be planned concurrently with other construction activities, so the overall construction schedule should not be affected by choice of system. Some loops will require an additional permit. Geothermal equipment can be installed with equal ease in both new construction and remodeling projects.

The initial cost of a geothermal heat pump system varies greatly according to local labor rates, lot geology and size, type of system installed, and equipment selected. So, geothermal heat pump systems are more costly to install than air source heat pumps. For either system, the cost of installed ducts should be identical. Equipment costs can be 50-100% more expensive for a geothermal heat pump system when the circulating pump, indoor tubing, and water source heat pump are considered. This 50-100% premium translates to $1,000 - $2,000 for the equipment that supplies a 3-ton system.

The ground loop is generally the most expensive component of a geothermal heat pump system and is highly dependent on local labor rates and drilling conditions. An installed ground loop stubbed out in a home can cost between $1,000 and $3,000 per installed ton. Overall, one could expect to pay between $4,000 and $11,000 more for a 3-ton GHP system than for an air source heat pump system.

Geothermal heat pumps offer high efficiency and low operating cost. According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps can save homeowners 30 to 70 percent on heating and 20 to 50 percent on cooling costs over conventional systems. This information, as well as, reports that have been made by builders who monitor their in-place systems indicate that heating and cooling savings can range between $358 and $1,475, annually.

Geothermal heat pumps offer high efficiency and low operating cost. According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps can save homeowners 30 to 70 percent on heating and 20 to 50 percent on cooling costs over conventional systems. Geothermal heat pumps provide a high level of occupant comfort. There is a potential for utility bill savings, and many local utility companies provide incentives for investing in geothermal heat pumps.

About the Author:
He has a background as civil engineer and geoscientist. He has worked mainly within the oil and gas industry from the mid 1980s. He has written some few fictional novels as well as author of some professional litterature within oil and gas sector, he is now an editor of some web sites, mainly within the travel business.

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Geothermal Information: On Heating Systems And Energy

You are keen to brush up your awareness on geothermal energy sources. Do you have any FAQs pertaining to geothermal information? Well, this article may be able to answer some of your queries.

The word geothermal is derived from the Greek words 'geo'. Geo means earth and 'therma' means heat. So, combined together, geothermal means heat from the earth.

There are a number of natural sources for geothermal energy. The Enhanced Geothermal Systems or the hot dry rocks, hot springs, magma and hot geysers are a part of volcanic activities. The geopressured and hydrothermal brines are some of the examples of geothermal energy sources.

More than twenty countries around the globe use geothermal energy for the generation of power. These countries include the U.S. France, Iceland, and Peoples Republic of China, Japan, Italy, New Zealand, Kenya, Mexico, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Russia, Philippines and Nicaragua.

Quite an impressive list of countries, wouldnt you agree? Well, these countries have opted geothermal heating systems for a simple reason. These systems offer unmatched benefits over the traditionally used cooling and heating systems. Geothermal heating also helps to lower the costs of operating. It is the only system that can cut the utility bills by thirty to fifty percent as compared to conventional cooling and heating systems.

With an environment-friendly impact, these systems are a reliable ground source which is used for heating. It is naturally renewable as well as non polluting. Geothermal systems have low maintenance costs because all of its equipments are protected either underground or indoors.

The life span of the geothermal systems is remarkably long. It has a life expectancy of almost thirty years. As a matter of fact, the ground loops are even warranted for up to fifty years. You can find out more about geothermal heating and cooling at => http://www.geothermalheatingcost.com

Another benefit of a geothermal system is that it is a single system which provides both cooling and heating. These systems are also able to drafts and provide better indoor comfort. Geothermal systems can also be inexpensively and easily expanded. It can be subdivided to fit building additions or remodeling, as they are designed for flexibility. These systems are also energy efficient and are extremely safe. Users dont face any danger of carbon monoxide poisoning or gas leaks.

Geothermal system is packed with a number of advantages, particularly economic. The key economic advantage of a geothermal cooling and heating system is that it is highly energy efficient. For every unit of energy that it utilizes, it produces 2.5 to 3.5 units of heat. This makes its average efficiency almost three hundred percent! This means you dont have to spend sleepless nights worrying about the bills!

Thus, a geothermal system provides a user with utmost convenience, quality and comfort. It gives the highest value for each dollar spent on its purchase. With this discussion pertaining to geothermal informationBusiness Management Articles, do opt for it now!

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Article by Dean Forster at http://www.geothermalheatingcost.com . Find out more about heating systems and options at => Geothermal Heating

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Geothermal energy – what is it, and can it be a good renewable energy

Geothermal energy is the energy harvested from the warmth of the Earth core, which can be trapped to produce electricity in geothermal power plants that use it to warm water for industry, agriculture, bathing and cleansing. Even though it is in use worldwide, its real potential as an alternative energy source is not fully utilised, thus geothermal may offers an actual alternative in future environment-friendly energy source.

There are several ways to use this geothermal power:
Wells of geothermal power.
A geothermal reservoir is a mass of fractured rock in the Earth’s crust, saturated with hot water or steam. In order to bring the water or steam to the surface, wells are drilled into them. If the fluid coming out is hot enough, bubbles will occur and cause the water to flow to the surface, if not, the wells may need a pump. Power plants make use of the hot water or steam from the wells by redirecting it to a steam turbine and a generator that produce electricity. These plants are working much like any power plant. The hot water can also be used directly to heat buildings.

Ground Source Heat pumps
When the sun light shines on the soil its heat energy is absorbed by the ground. Then, ground source heat pumps can extract this energy, and use it for space heating. The energy source that is actually used for ground source heat pumps is the sun and not the heat from the earth.

In the UK, the constant ground source heat temperature is around 12ºC and can be utilised to heat and cool buildings. Pipes that are buried underground in a ditch or in a vertical well and water is pumped right through it, heated by the underground energy.

Heat Pumps do need some power to operate. However for 1 unit of energy they consume, they can generate up to four units of electricity! The energy that is generated by a ground source heat pump can be considered 100% renewable if the power to operate the pump comes from solar electric panels or a wind turbine for example.

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