Geothermal heating and cooling is better for the environment
The Environmental Protection Agency considers geothermal heating and cooling the most environmentally responsible form of temperature control on the current market
My husband and I are very concerned about our impact on the environment. We’ve made every effort to reduce our carbon footprint. We share one car, and whenever possible either ride our bicycles or take public transportation. We grow our own vegetables, have a substantial fruit orchard and use no harmful pesticides. My husband designed a rainwater collection system for irrigation and we compost our kitchen waste. When we built our home, green alternatives to heating, cooling and lighting were a priority. We investigated all different options and decided on a combination of solar panels and geothermal temperature control. The investment into this environmentally friendly strategy was significant, but we’ve recovered the cost through energy savings in under five years. The solar panels provide more electrical energy than we draw and the geothermal heat pump creates four units of energy for every one it draws. The biggest expense was the excavation necessary to implement the underground loop system. This loop takes advantage of the stable underground temperature, drawing from the free and renewable energy source provided by the sun. During the winter, the heat pump pulls heat from the ground and transfers it into the house. In the summer, the system reverses the operation to extract heat from the house and move it outside. The process doesn’t require the burning of fossil fuels, so there’s no combustion byproducts or greenhouse gasses. The Environmental Protection Agency considers geothermal heating and cooling the most environmentally responsible form of temperature control on the current market. We enjoy the ideal year round comfort, exceptional dehumidification and air filtration, quiet operation and minimal maintenance requirements.