Geothermal Energy Tips

If you are proactively planning to replace your heating and air conditioning system in order to avoid system failure and/or reduce energy consumption, research the benefits of a geothermal heat pump system from an energy savings perspective, a home comfort standpoint, an environmental impact and the federal tax credit (30% of the installed cost of a residential geothermal system) that is available to you – consult your tax preparer. Call Carney All Seasons for a free evaluation of your home to see if geothermal is right for you.

Although geothermal heating and cooling systems require less maintenance than conventional heating and cooling systems, they still need to be professionally maintained in order to ensure proper working order, reduce system failures and keep operating levels at peak efficiency. Call Carney All Seasons today to arrange a precision tune-up for your geothermal heat pump system.

If you decide to have a geothermal heat pump system installed at your home – or you move to a home that already has a geothermal system – be sure to keep record of the location of the underground loop field. Typically, the loop field will be four feet beneath the surface of the ground. Any alterations that require excavation (home additions, deck installations, exterior electrical or water service installations) could severely damage the underground loop, resulting in expensive repairs.

When installing a geothermal heat pump system, consider including advanced indoor air quality accessories in order to augment the increased comfort effects of a geothermal system. Humidification, dehumidification, air filtration and fresh air exchange and zoning systems all merge perfectly with a versatile geothermal comfort system.

When installing a geothermal system, Carney All Seasons strongly recommends including a "desuperheater" as part of the system. A desuperheater allows your geothermal heating and cooling system to provide you with hot water for domestic use (bathing, clothes washing, dish washing, etc) at a fraction of the cost whenever the geothermal system is operating in heating mode. When the geothermal system is operating in cooling mode, heat from your home is utilized and transferred to your water heater to create hot water for free! When your geothermal system is not being used, traditional water heating methods are utilized. All of this occurs automatically and the only difference you notice is the reduced utility bills!

When considering the installation of a solar photovoltaic system to provide electricity for your home, first evaluate the reduction in electricity usage that can be realized by the installation of a geothermal heat pump system. Often, the household decrease in electric consumption will drastically alter the capacity and corresponding space requirements of the solar photovoltaic system.