Weigh the Cost and Savings Benefits of a Geothermal System
There are many reasons to install a geothermal heat pump system in your home. Geothermal heating is effective, environmentally friendly, safe and has a low operating cost.
The initial cost of the system causes some homeowners to incorrectly assume they’re too costly to install. However, the long-term payoff of low lifetime costs, free renewable energy, a consistent source of energy, and very low utility bills more than pay homeowners back for the investment.
The factors you need to consider when pricing out geothermal for your home include the cost of the underground pipework, the size of your house, and the heating and cooling load of your home.
- The heating and cooling load of your home will essentially dictate the size of the geothermal pump you’ll need. Your contractor should conduct a Manual J heating and cooling load calculation of the home, factoring its square footage, its insulation, airtightness, ductwork efficiency, and more to determine the capacity required of the system.
- Most Long Island homes with forced-air heating and cooling will already have ductwork. Your heating professional will assess whether or not these pipes will accommodate the geothermal heat pump, and whether some retrofitting will be required.
- Installing a loop field to extract the heat from the ground also plays a role in the price. The cost of drilling and excavating your property coupled with the cost of the pipes themselves all add to the initial price. Your contractor will assess the effectiveness of soil conditions to determine heat exchange capabilities, as well as landscaping that may obstruct piping.
Geothermal heat pumps have gained a well-deserved reputation as the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective heating and cooling system around. Once your initial investment has been paid off, the savings continue. At T.F. O’Brien Cooling & Heating we’ve served Long Island since 1934, and can answer any questions you have on geothermal heat pumps or home comfort.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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