Geothermal cooling and heating has been around for decades, but it’s only been over the last few years that it has become a more popular choice for residential properties. Our Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc., experts get a lot of questions about geothermal systems, and one of the more common ones regards the savings a geothermal system can offer. To understand how geothermal cooling in Lake City can help save you money, it’s important to first understand how the system works.
How Geothermal Systems Work
A geothermal system harnesses the Earth’s natural, steady temperature just below the frost line (between 55-61 degrees) to heat and cool. Using a ground loop and a heat pump, warmth is absorbed from the Earth during the winter months and transferred into your home via the ground loop; the heat pump then disperses the warm air into your home. In the summer months, the heat pump removes the heat and transfers it to the ground loop, where the heat is “sunk” into the ground. Geothermal systems do not use any fossil fuels and the heat pump uses a small amount of electricity to operate.
Ways Geothermal Systems Save Money
There are a few ways in which geothermal systems can save you money:
- Lifespan of the equipment – geothermal systems have a long lifespan: the ground loop is made to last up to 50 years, and the lifespan of the heat pump is 20-25 years. With these kinds of numbers, it is possible to have a geothermal system last a full generation before needing to replace certain components. This can result in considerable savings.
- Energy efficiency – the energy efficiency of a geothermal system averages between 300-400%; when you consider that the average combustible appliance can’t go any higher than 100%, you can gain a lot of efficiency with a geothermal system.
- No fuel costs – with a geothermal system, you eliminate the need to pay for fossil fuels. Energy.gov estimates geothermal systems can you up to 70% in annual energy costs.
The one item to note about geothermal systems is that the upfront installation costs tend to be more expensive than those of standard air conditioning systems. But there are tax credits and grants that can help reduce the initial costs, and it takes only an average of 6 years to recoup the cost of installation via energy savings.
If you are considering geothermal cooling in Lake City, call the team of geothermal experts at Touchstone Heating and Air, Inc., today!