Homeowners who want the most efficient cooling system for their home should consider geothermal cooling. It’s the most dependable way to use renewable energy for cooling, since it relies on stable temperatures underground as the medium for cooling rather than the highly variable outdoor air. Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) use an underground loop field where thermal exchanges are made and are unaffected by any kind of weather.
GHPs work by exchanging heat. In the summer, the refrigerant for the heat pump removes the heat from your home, making it cooler. In the winter, the process reverses and the system pulls stored heat out of the ground to warm your home.
When the geothermal system is in the cooling mode, the heat exchanger transfers the heat collected from your home into the underground loop field, via a water/anti-freeze solution. The heat is then “rejected” into the ground. The solution is then sent back to the evaporator coil where it collects more heat. The process continues until your home reaches the thermostat’s setting.
These systems use less electricity than other kinds of HVAC equipment, and the indoor blower runs more quietly. They are more efficient than conventional air-source heat pumps because they are able to reject heat energy into the relatively cool earth, which takes less energy than depositing it into warm outdoor air.
Another green attribute is their longevity. The underground loop field can last 50 years or more, while the indoor blower can reach 25 years as long as it’s maintained properly. Geothermal cooling equipment doesn’t require an outdoor condenser, which lowers your cost initially and reduces yard noise and maintenance.
While GHPs cost more than standard central air conditioners, a significant federal tax credit is available to offset the cost. The credit is active through the end of 2016 and covers 30 percent of the system’s cost and installation, with no upward limit on the cap. Digging the underground loop field is the main thing that adds to the installation cost, which is something not associated with other HVAC equipment.
If you’d like to learn more about geothermal cooling, please contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services. We’ve provided superior HVAC services for the Dayton area since 1978.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about geothermal cooling and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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