What is Geothermal Heating?
Like any sort of investment, the initial cost can seem daunting. However, since much of the hidden cost of a “conventional” system is bound up in the price of fuel, one must look at the entire lifetime of operation. Just a little quick math can show that over the likely lifetime, the cost of operation and maintenance is dwarfed by the savings in energy bills, even if you wishfully assume the price of power doesn’t go up from current levels.
As many people, businesses and schools found out when the price of heating oil doubled from one season to the next, volatility in the energy commodity sector can have a tremendous impact on budgets and lives. Geothermal heating systems are only subject to the rise in the price of installation, due to the embedded fuel costs in the price of materials (and labour, by extension).
And, there are tax credits in some states and countries that will reward you for installing any sustainable power system, while others will only reward certain types, such as solar panels or wind turbines. Be sure to check with your state and federal energy departments or ministries to find out if there is assistance you can take advantage of to offset the additional cost of a geothermal heating and cooling system.
Geothermal Heating
Though they may not be quite as profound as those credits given in some other countries, such as Japan and Germany, it is still significant in many states and provinces, including most of those that are capable of active geothermal power generation. Check also for pending legislation that may impact your purchase decisions – many places are now giving rebates to help meet local and regional carbon emission goals.
For those that live in climates that get quite warm in the summer (and the list seems to get longer every year), passive geothermal systems such as heat pumps are capable of producing not only the heat required to keep a home cozy in the winter but also, cooling for the summer. When the cost of a conventional heating and cooling system is compared with a common geothermal system such as the coil-type closed loop heat pump systems, the cost savings are tremendous.
If one assumes that the cost of heating fuel (whether you use coal, gas, oil or even wood) is going up, installing a geothermal system to take care of the bulk of your heating and cooling needs is a wise investment.
Check out our additional information on History Of Geothermal
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