How do you keep your home comfortable while saving energy and reducing your carbon footprint? One option is a geothermal heat pump — but it’s not for everyone. Here are some of the geothermal pros and cons.
- Pro: It’s sustainable. Geothermal systems use the Earth’s limitless energy to heat and cool your home. The temperature 10 feet beneath the Earth’s surface remains constant at around 54 degrees. A loop of pipe on your property absorbs that heat energy and transfers it to the air, cooling it in summer and warming it in winter, thus saving energy — one of the most important benefits out of all the geothermal pros and cons.
- Con: It’s expensive. Installing a geothermal system can cost between $10,000 and $20,000. It’s a significant upfront investment, and while there are tax incentives to offset it, it can still take a number of years to recoup that amount in energy savings — one of the main disadvantages of all the geothermal pros and cons.
- Pro: It’s clean. Most furnaces burn natural gas to keep you warm. Your AC uses electricity, but it still needs fuel burned at a power plant to keep it running. Even the most efficient furnaces are still only 98% energy efficient. A geothermal heat pump is 300% to 500% efficient, producing much more heating and cooling than the small amount of energy it uses to run.
- Con: It still needs electricity. The Earth’s energy can only heat or cool the air partway. Electricity is still needed to supplement it and help your home reach its ideal temperature.
- Pro: It works any time. Geothermal energy isn’t dependent on the weather, like solar panels or wind turbines. There’s no optimal time of day when you need to use it. It works perfectly year-round.
- Con: It’s not for all houses. Installing a geothermal system requires a significant excavation of your property and a significant amount of yard space. It can disturb tree roots and other plant and animal life in the area. It’s a lot easier and less intrusive to install it in a new home than to retrofit an existing home.
Now that you’ve read these geothermal pros and cons, you have a better idea of whether geothermal is right for your home. If you have additional questions, contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services. We provide Dayton with the best home-comfort solutions.
