What is the biggest factor holding back geothermal heat pumps from being the most widely used heating and air conditioning systems?  Upfront cost..  According to a study by the Geo-Heat Institute at the Oregon Institute of Technology, high installation cost of the ground loop is rated as the number one barrier to entry for geothermal heat pumps.  While using the temperature underground to heat and cool a building is extremely efficient, it does require the additional cost to install a ground loop or heat exchanger.  The indoor equipment is slightly more expensive than conventional equipment, but with government incentives and tax credits, the difference is often negligible.  It is the installation of the outdoor portion, or ground loop, that is the large cost difference between geothermal and conventional systems.

While almost everyone has some type of conventional heating and air condition unit, geothermal heat pumps only make up around 1% of HVAC installations.  How has a technology that has been proven to be the most efficient way to heat and cool buildings over the last 50 years struggled to make it to the tipping point?  There are other factors involved, but a huge barrier to entry for geothermal has been the additional cost of the ground loop and appropriate financing.  Even though the payback period for geothermal systems is far shorter than solar photovoltaic, solar has taken off in the last three to five years among homeowners.  When it comes time to install solar there are many different incentives and financing options available, but these are harder to find for geothermal system.

Greenavise

When Scott Friedman started Greenavise, he started it as a consulting company to help real estate owners increase the energy efficiency of their buildings.  He quickly realized that high upfront cost and financing where key factors holding back the renewable energy industry.  Because of this, Greenavise started the GeoAccess program.

The GeoAccess program eliminates the upfront cost of a loop for homeowners purchasing a geothermal system!  Interested homeowners can have Greenavise use one of their qualified contractors to install the ground loop for their geothermal system for no upfront cost.  Greenavise will own and service the ground loop and the homeowner will pay a monthly fee to use it with their geothermal system.  This is a great win-win situation for both the homeowner and geothermal industry as a whole.

GeoAccess Explained

To give the GeoAccess program some credibility, let’s do some basic math.  Please note, these numbers are for illustrative purposes only and will not be representative of an actual geothermal installation for your home.  If a typical geothermal installation for a 1,200 sq ft home costs $20,000 before tax credits, the loop portion may be $12,000 of that cost.  If a homeowner saves $150 a month by switching to geothermal, this is positive cash flow going into their pockets.  By using the GeoAccess program, the same homeowner could install the geothermal system for $8,000 instead of $20,000 and pay Greenavise to access the geothermal loop.  If the homeowner saves $150 a month by switching to geothermal and pays a loop access fee to Greenavise for $125, they are still having a positive cash flow of $25 a month for a geothermal system that only costs $8,000.  The homeowner can pay zero upfront cost for the ground loop and still save money.  The cost of utilities such as electricity and fossil fuels will keep increasing over time, so energy savings will increase while the loop access fee will stay the same.  This means that savings will increase over time.  This makes it possible to purchase a geothermal system for the same cost as a conventional heating and cooling system, and this doesn’t take into account government tax credits and other geothermal benefits!

Greenavise is offering a great service to homeowners by helping them install their geothermal loops and doing it with no upfront cost.  If you are an interested homeowner, please visit their website here and contact them for more information!

It is a fact that geothermal systems are extremely efficient.  There have been numerous research projects conducted on geothermal heat pumps over the years by organizations ranging from the Department of Energy to local nonprofits.  Each time the efficiency of geothermal units are compared to conventional equipment, geothermal ends up winning.  Geothermal definitely stands out from the crowd as an extremely efficient way to heat and cool a building.

Because of their extreme efficiency, the federal government, state government, utilities, and local organizations have all recognized the significance of geothermal heat pumps in the over-all strategy to move towards a more sustainable country.  They have allocated funds toward promoting the geothermal industry and these incentives range from large tax credits to free energy audits.  To take advantage of these incentives, it is important to know where to look.

The Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

The first place to look when trying to find incentives for your new geothermal system is the Database for State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE).  After selecting the link above and going to website, choose the state where you are installing your geothermal system.  You can then select a filter at the top of the page to see results for Federal Incentives, All Summaries, or Residential Incentives Only.  This is a very comprehensive website and will list most Federal, State, Local, and Utility incentives available for geothermal systems.  To learn more about any of the incentives listed, simply select the incentive and look to the Summary section.  There is even contact information listed beneath the Summary section if you would like to speak to the person in charge of the incentive and get further information.  This is a great website to help with your research and search for incentives you may be able to take advantage of with your new geothermal heat pump.

While the DSIRE website does include a comprehensive list of incentives, there may be some incentives not listed on the website.  To find other incentives, perform Google searches on your local utility, state energy office, and any renewable energy organizations in your state.  It is always a good idea to browse through their websites to see if they have any further incentives available.

Free Heat Beneath Your Feet Sweepstakes

While most residential geothermal incentives are limited to homeowners purchasing a new geothermal system, if you have an existing home with a geothermal system there is an incentive for you as well.  Right now GeothermalGenius is running our “Free Heat Beneath Your Feet” Sweepstakes!  Homeowners who own a geothermal heat pump can submit a testimony about their geothermal system here and be entered to win free air conditioning for the summer 2012!

If you are considering a geothermal system, maybe these incredible incentives will push you over the edge to make a great decision to become part of the geothermal community.  If you are wondering if a geothermal system is right for you, please visit our Testimony Page to learn what other homeowners are saying about their systems.

Do you own a geothermal system and often find yourself talking to your friends about it?  Whenever someone comes into your home do you feel the need to take them into your utility room and show them your geothermal unit?  Even if you do not go to this extent in telling others about geothermal, this is an opportunity for anyone who owns a geothermal heat pump to write a testimony on GeothermalGenius.org about your geothermal system and be entered to win compensation for your entire summer of air conditioning.

GeothermalGenius has just launched its summer “Free Heat Beneath Your Feet” Sweepstakes!  We launch this to reward homeowners for choosing geothermal and help promote geothermal as a valuable renewable energy resource.  Last Summer, Dan from Manchestor, Missouri submitted a testimony and won free air conditioning for Summer 2011.  Read more about his story here!

Contest Details:

Only property owners with geothermal heat pumps can log onto our geo-map to submit their experience/testimony about geothermal.  Entries from all previous Sweepstakes are automatically entered in this drawing, so there is no need to enter again if you participated in the Sweepstakes previously.

On September 15th, 2012 a random drawing will be held at the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, PA and the Grand Prize Winner will be notified.  The winner does not have to be present.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive electric bill compensation for the entirety of the summer: June 20th – September 22nd 2012.

The Grand Prize Winner will submit copies of their summer electric bills to GeothermalGenius to be reimbursed 100% (up to $2,000).

Click here for complete Sweepstakes rules.

Thank you for choosing to use geothermal in your home and using this opportunity to help spread the word to others!  If you are currently looking for a new heating and air conditioning system and want to know why you should choose geothermal, please visit our Geothermal Testimony section.

For those of you who have security systems in your home, you know that your service provider will call when it is time to change your batteries.  They can monitor your security system to ensure it is operating effectively from an office one hundred miles away.  What if you, as a geothermal contractor, could offer this same service to your clients after installing geothermal systems?  Thanks to support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSRDA), this is now possible with a product from EnergyWise Partners.

EnergyWise Partners recently took part in an initiative to focus on increasing the adoption of geothermal heat pump systems.  While the geothermal heat pump industry has been growing steadily over the last several years, the percentage of geothermal systems compared to conventional HVAC systems is still incredibly small.  Two main barriers to entry in the geothermal heat pump industry have been the lack of credible information regarding the systems and homeowners’ lack of trust in the installing contractors.  To crusade both of these barriers, EnergyWise Partners decided to create an online geothermal product.  Through their persistence, they have created an innovative online interface that gives further credibility to geothermal systems, helps contractors stand out from their competition, and provides contractors with a strengthened revenue stream in maintenance and service agreements.

Provide trustworthy information

Any homeowner who has looked into purchasing a geothermal heat pump system knows that it is hard to find credible information.  The new system from EnergyWise Partners posts real-time information on the performance of geothermal heat pumps in a homeowner’s local area.  Instead of reading articles and information on geothermal websites touting 50% – 80% savings after switching to a geothermal heat pump, homeowners can see these percentages coming to life as they see energy savings from real geothermal systems in their area.  This will help to give credibility to the industry and give homeowners a trusted source of information.

Stand out from the competition

This system also helps geothermal contractors stand out from their competitors.  Because geothermal contractors are not only competing against other geothermal contractors, but all other HVAC contractors as well, this industry can be very competitive.  Geothermal heat pumps are high end systems and require more cost than a conventional heating and cooling.  Many contractors specializing in geothermal systems have had success in their sales by combining geothermal heat pumps with high end accessories such as technologically advanced thermostats and other electronic products.  EnergyWise Partners’ system takes measurements on the ground loop, compressor, desuperheater, and air temperatures circulating through the ductwork.  It takes this information and puts it into a very user friendly interface within the installer’s website that homeowners can use to track their system and share the information with their friends and family.  By offering this product in your equipment options, you will offer a complete performance tracking system with your geothermal heat pump installations where each new monitored system becomes an online reference that drives more business to your company.

Increase maintenance revenue

While a good amount of revenue comes from the actual installation of the geothermal heat pump equipment, another great source of additional income can be generated through a maintenance agreement with the customer.  By using the geothermal monitoring system from EnergyWise Partners, contractors are able to track the efficiency of their installed systems and use this as a diagnostic tool before going out to a home for a service call.  In addition, for a small additional cost you can set up system alerts and monitor systems to let you know when it comes time for a client’s service to be issued.  If your home security company can give you a call to let you know it’s time to change your batteries, why can’t you give your clients a call to let them know their system needs a tune up?

The technology is now available to easily track the efficiency of geothermal heat pumps (or other renewable products such as solar thermal or solar electric) and sell this equipment as an additional feature on your geothermal installations.   By clamping on a few sensors and hooking up the equipment properly, you will be able to provide homeowners with their own web page within your website where they can view a real-time display of the efficiency of their geothermal system, help other homeowners in the area see the true benefits of geothermal, stand out from your competition, and offer an upgraded maintenance agreement to your customers.  For a limited number of systems, EnergyWise Partners is offering a rebate that covers the cost of the system after it is installed.  To contact EnergyWise Partners or get more information, please visit their website here!

A sustainable community

 Just Southwest of Atlanta, GA there is an award-winning development named Serenbe Community.  The founders, Rawson Haverty and Steve and Mary Nygren created Serenbe to be an example of balanced community development.  In order to achieve balanced community development, they focus on land preservation, agriculture, energy efficiency, green building, walkability, high density building, arts and culture, and community living for multiple generations.  Because a key part of their strategy is energy efficiency and green building, Serenbe has partnered with Bosch to build three new homes featuring energy efficient Bosch products and allow Bosch to build the brand new Bosch Experience Center.

A mutually beneficial partnership

On March 28^th, 2012 Bosch announced its partnership with Serenbe Community.  The first partnership of this kind for Bosch, they are hoping to show homeowners that it is possible to build a very sustainable home without stress and a lot of extra cost.  When a homeowner decides that they would like to incorporate sustainable and energy efficient technologies into their home, there is often a good deal of stress involved in this process.  The high cost of these products and the lack of expertise in homeowners can make this a daunting task.  To meet these needs, Bosch has designed product portfolios that homeowners can choose in a one-stop-shop kind of experience.  In describing these portfolios, one of the founders of Serenbe, Steve Nygren says, “With the complete suite of Bosch products, we provide a unique one-stop solution – a critical issue for home builders, installers and consumers.  It’s now possible to not only achieve energy efficient performance, but also retain a reasonable entry price point for the US consumer of approximately $250,000 – which helps diminish a major roadblock for widespread sustainable technology adoption.”  Technology has now inceased to the point where it is possible to buy a $250,000 highly sustainable home.  This pricetag is right on par with the 2011 average US home price.

High quality geothermal units

Bosch Geothermal Heat Pumps are at the core of Bosch’s sustainable portfolios.  Since acquiring Florida Heat Pump in January of 2007, Bosch has taken their geothermal heat pump product line and turned it into one of the most efficient geothermal heat pump systems in North America.  In 2011, the TA Bosch Geothermal product line was the only complete heating/cooling line to receive the Energy Star® 2011 Most Efficient recognition.  With very high efficiency ratings and the reliability that comes from a manufacturing company with over 125 years of experience, Bosch geothermal heating and cooling units will continue to play a large role in shaping the geothermal industry in the US.

Helping grow the geothermal industry

“Building a new home can be a great experience. But balancing performance, efficiency, and aesthetics can also create a lot of stress with the many choices that have to be made. Our goal is to offer a portfolio of products designed to address these priorities, thus facilitating a simple “peace of mind” solution for sustainable living decisions,” says Ervin Cash, president and CEO of Bosch Thermotechnology of North America.  In this new partnership with Serenbe, Bosch will be able to be able to show homeowners that energy efficiency is possible without losing your hair and paying a fortune.

What are your thoughts on this partnership? If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Bosch’s geothermal commercial!

Elimination of noisy outdoor unit

When homeowners talk about the benefits of their geothermal heating and cooling systems, one benefit that often surfaces is the elimination of a noisy outdoor unit.  Almost everyone has been outside and heard a noisy compressor turn on in a conventional heating and cooling unit.  You are sitting at the table outside with your family and suddenly have to talk louder until your air conditioning unit turns off.  Geothermal heating and cooling units often eliminate the need for any outdoor unit, and if an outdoor unit is needed it is very quiet and you will not hear it running.  By eliminating this outdoor noise, you will be able to relax in your yard without being bothered by a noisy unit.

No burning of fossil fuels

In addition to reducing this outdoor noise, geothermal heating and cooling systems also eliminate the need to burn fossil fuels.  Burning fossil fuels is not a clean process and CO2 along with other gases are released during this process.  Methane gas released from the burning of fossil fuels contributes toward acid rain, which it turns harms plants and animals.  Perhaps the most threatening effect of burning fossil fuels in your home can be the introduction of Carbon Monoxide due to equipment malfunctions.  Know as “the silent killer,” this gas can be deadly if undetected.  With a geothermal heating and cooling system, you can relax knowing that you are not contributing to harmful gases in the environment or your home.

Exteme efficiency

An official EPA study on energy efficiency listed geothermal heating and cooling system as the most environmentally friendly heating and cooling system.  A main reason why geothermal heat pumps have earned this distinction is due to their extreme efficiency.  By using the constant temperature underground to heat and cool a home instead of the fluctuating outdoor air temperature, geothermal heat pumps are able to boast huge efficiency improvements over conventional heating and cooling systems.  In the Winter when it is cold outdoors, geothermal heat pumps can use the much warmer temperatures underground to achieve efficiency ratings upwards of 300%!  The same principle is also true in the Summer.  When the outdoor air temperature climbs higher than 90 degrees, a normal heating and air conditioning system will have to fight to move the heat from your home to the outdoor air in order to cool your building.  A geothermal system will be able to easily move the heat from your home to the much cooler temperatures underground.  To measure this efficiency, geothermal heat pumps are rated using COP (Coefficient of Performance) and EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio).  It is important to consider the COP and EER numbers of a geothermal heat pump before purchasing a unit.  When you are soliciting bids from geothermal contractors, ask them to explain COP and EER and give you a comparison to a conventional heating and cooling unit.  While many conventional heating and cooling equipment uses EER and COP for efficiency ratings, you may have to ask your contractor to help you compare when the equipment uses SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) instead of EER.  You can use these numbers to see for yourself the extreme efficiencies of geothermal heat pumps.

Geothermal heat pumps go hand in hand with environmental responsibility.  The benefits above are just a small sampling of some of the benefits of these systems.  For a list of more benefits, please feel free to refer to the Benefits section of this website under Geothermal 101.  After you purchase your geothermal heating and cooling system, you can rest assured that you have purchased an environmentally friendly appliance that will allow you to enjoy more peace and quiet in your yard, protect the earth and your family from the harmful gases generated by burning fossil fuels, and operate with the highest efficiency of any heating and cooling system.

Source: www.gagnongeothermal.com

Which type of heating system is the easiest to retrofit?

The easiest type of system to retrofit is a hydro-air heating system because its operation is not that different from that of a ground source heat pump. With a hydro-air heating system, a boiler heats air which is then distributed through the house via ductwork. If you replace the boiler with the geothermal heat pump for the primary heat source, the rest of the system only needs minimal adjustment. In some cases, the hydro-air system is left in place to serve as an auxiliary heat source.

Which type of heating systems are the most difficult/expensive to retrofit?

The most difficult systems to retrofit are older houses with baseboard heating and no central air conditioning. These systems have no ducts to distribute the air from the ground source heat pump, and you will need to have ducts installed for the new system. Radiant floor geothermal systems are very expensive, so it is not a recommended retrofit for residential homes.

Will the underground loops affect my landscaping?

Installing pipes underground will obviously involve digging up at least part of your yard, but horizontal loops only need trenches of about 6 inches wide. Vertical loops require even less space and will not cause very much damage to your lawn. In the long term, geothermal systems do not cause any problems with trees, grass, or other plants. After your grass recovers from the initial installation, you should notice no differences in your yard.

How much can I save with a geothermal system?

How much you will save replacing your current system with a geothermal system varies on how much you are currently spending on heating your house and how large a system you need to heat your home. There are many great tools available to help you, such as the Ball Park Investment Calculator, which will help you calculate how much a new system will cost and how long it will take to pay for itself. If you pay off your geothermal system over time instead of with a lump sum, the monthly cost will be less than your current fuel expenditure. Remember, geothermal heat is renewable!

What should I do to get my house ready for a geothermal retrofit?

Having a geothermal heat pump that has the capacity to both heat and cool your home is very important, and one of the things that factors into that calculation is how energy efficient your house is. You will want to make sure your house has enough insulation and ENERGY STAR rated windows and doors. Seal up any air leaks you find and you might even want to have a professional energy audit performed on your house. The more energy efficient your house, the smaller of a heat pump you will need, so it is an important first step before beginning the retrofitting process.

No matter what system you currently have in place, a geothermal heating and cooling system is a great way to make your home more environmentally friendly. Be sure to talk to a professional HVAC contractor to find out if a geothermal retrofit is the right option for you.

This information is courtesy of RineAir Heating & Air Conditioning, a Cincinnati heating and air conditioning contractor. Please visit their blog to learn more about green heating and cooling.

Where can find a list of local geothermal contractors? Right here – Local Geothermal Contractors

          When selecting a geothermal contractor it is important to go through their proposal and sales process.  Be wary of contractors who use geothermal systems as a way to make other, less efficient, non-geothermal heating and cooling systems seem cheaper.  If a contractor offers geothermal but pushes you towards a high efficiency fossil fuel system, he may not have your best interests in mind.  Did the contractor go into the attic or crawlspace to inspect your ductwork?  Did they take the time to explain to you the effects that the drilling rig will have on your landscaping until the grass grows back?  While this is not always the case, many times the amount of effort that a contractor takes before a job will be a direct reflection of the care they take in actually performing the job.

          In addition to ensuring they put time and effort into the proposal, you will also want to make sure that your geothermal contractor puts time and effort into providing you with the proper system sizing.  In order to properly size the geothermal equipment and loops, they have will have to perform a Heatload Calculation, also known as Manual J Calculation for a residence, in order to come up with the heating and cooling load needed for a home.  There are many different factors that go into this calculation such as the size of rooms, size of windows, orientation of the home, insulation values for the home, type and color of shingles, etc.  While some contractors may not perform a Heatload Calculation until a contract is signed or an upfront fee is paid, all quality contractors should perform this calculation before installing the equipment to ensure that the equipment and ground loop are properly sized.

          Working with a geothermal contractor who has many years of experience and a driller who is familiar with the local terrain can give you a head start in feeling confident that you have chosen the right contractor.  To ensure they have a good reputation in the industry, look into their profile with the Better Business Bureau and check out online reviews for the company.  While asking for referrals or to speak with a company’s previous customer can be helpful, most often contractors will only provide you with a customer that they know will give them a rave review.  In addition to finding out how much experience a contractor has, you should also ask them about their certifications.  An important certification in the geothermal industry to look for is IGSHPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump) certification and an important certification in the over-all heating and air conditioning industry is NATE (North American Technician Excellence).

         Choosing the right geothermal contractor can be a daunting task.  Do not let the fear or uncertainty stop you from making a great decision to purchase the most efficient heating and cooling system available.  Spend time with potential contractors going over the details of their proposals, ensure they are performing proper Heatload Calculations, and look into their experience and certifications.  Use this time to learn more about geothermal heating and cooling systems and choose the contractor that is right for you!

After a geothermal system has been installed for several months to a year, the grass from the drilling will have grown back a person could walk over the loop field and not even know that it exists. This is ironic considering how important of a part it plays in the geothermal system. It is the loop field that connects the geothermal heat pump to the ground and makes it the most efficient heating and cooling system available.

Many people often ask how deep the wells need to be dug for geothermal systems. The answer to this question is always, “It depends.” The reason it depends is because there are many different factors involved in the sizing of the geothermal loops, and many different designs as well. I have been to geothermal installations where the loops ranged from only six feet underground, to the 1,600 foot geothermal wells at the Peace Center in Philadelphia.

The real factor involved in how the geothermal wells are placed and the design that is chosen is driven by cost, the amount of space available, and the size needed to heat and cool a building. When there is a large amount of space available and cost is a consideration, horizontal geothermal loops may be chosen that range from six to twenty feet underground. Other than placing coils of loops in a body of water, this can be the most cost effective way to place geothermal loops. In the example of the Peace Center in Philadelphia, a large skyscraper needed to be supported by geothermal wells in a very limited space. This is where the 1,600 foot wells come in with a unique design known as standing water column.

With considerations regarding cost, the amount of space available, and the size of the system that is needed to heat and cool a building, a geothermal contractor or engineer will custom design a geothermal loop field. It is important to note that you should check to ensure that your geothermal contractor has been through a formal geothermal design or loop certification program such as IGSHPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump Association) or a certification offered through a geothermal manufacturer. For more information about the different geothermal loop designs available, feel free to refer to the Outdoor Portion section under Geothermal 101 on this site.

Combustion

Conventional heating systems, like a gas furnace, use combustion to create heat. Besides needing to pay for this fuel source, this combustion means that there is a greater need for maintenance and repair because of the intense heat produced by the burning of oil or gas. There are also safety precautions that need to be taken with any gas burning equipment. For instance, you need to be aware of the possible of possible CO leaks or of dangerous problems like delayed furnace ignition. On the other hand, geothermal systems have no need of an external fuel source (though the heat pump is probably powered by electricity), and, unlike gas or oil, they is use a completely renewable source of heat. There are very few safety precautions needed with geothermal systems because there is no combustion at all, just the transfer of heat from the earth to your home.

Maintenance

Traditional HVAC equipment requires regular maintenance to function safely and efficiently. For example, you should have your furnace cleaned and inspected every heating season to make sure that the heat exchanger is not cracked, the thermostat is working properly, and that there is no danger of CO leaks. Geothermal systems require very little maintenance. While the heat pump should be inspected once a year, the majority of components are underground and require little to no upkeep. The underground pipes are often guaranteed to last 25-50 years, while the average furnace only lasts around 15 years!

Efficiency

Geothermal systems have heating efficiencies of more than 50 percent higher than other heating systems. While the system still needs some electricity to run the geothermal heat pump, they very efficiently transfer heat from the ground to your home. Furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps require a great deal or electricity, gas, or oil to operate, leading to high utility bills. Though the initial installation cost of geothermal can be intimidating, the lower monthly bills will make up the price very quickly. After all, you will no longer need to pay for oil or gas! And since your geothermal system can be used for both heating and cooling, you don’t need two separate sets of equipment for the winter and the summer.

Geothermal systems are safe, reliable, and require very little maintenance. They have many benefits over traditional HVAC systems, including better efficiency and a renewable heat source. They are a long lasting and environmentally friendly heating and cooling system for any home.

This information is from Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling, a Lansdale heating and air conditioning contractor that also does geothermal system installation.

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44244119@N08/4065580037/in/photostream/