Why the U.S. Should be Utilizing Geothermal as an Alternative Energy Source
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012With the costs of everything skyrocketing in the U.S. now and our dependency on other countries for fuel, it is high time we start trending towards alternative energy sources such as geothermal heating. Alternative energy sources range from heating systems, hydroponic heating and wind turbines. If you are ready to explore an alternative heating source, do your research and consider geothermal heating for your new home or business.
Before you decide to purchase a geothermal heating systems for your home or business, make sure you read all you can about them. Look for geothermal heat pump reviews, check out all of the name brands, their efficiency levels and costs. When you think you have gained all of the information you can on your own, then is the time to call a professional to give you a quote. If you are armed with information ahead of time, you will be able to speak in a knowledgeable way with a contractor and understand what they are saying.
Aside from the obvious contribution using this type of heating adds to a greener environment, there are a few other advantages as well. Your energy efficiency increases by more than 50%, thus ensuring you will have much lower energy costs each month. If you keep your system properly maintained it should last more than 20 years, with most estimates ranging to over 30 years! There are tons of tax rebates and incentives from the government to switch to geothermal, most are 30% back on your cost of the system. Since there is no natural gas or carbon monoxide pumping into your home they provide the utmost in safety.
Some of the disadvantages of a geothermal heating systems are the high installation costs, the need for an HVAC contractor that specializes in geothermal installations, and a higher cost should you need repairs.
Standard (low) efficiency conventional HVAC systems with few or no extra features are relatively inexpensive. Equipment prices for a 2,000 square foot home could be as low as $5,000. If you choose high-efficiency, high-performance equipment, your cost for equipment could be as high as $10,000.
There are many terms that are regularly used when discussing Geothermal Heating. You can find a full list on the Geothermal Guides FAQ page.
As you can see, a lot goes into researching and selecting an alternative heating source such as geothermal. Although it can be a costly investment, the rewards are endless.