Despite higher initial costs, geothermal systems can reduce energy bills by up to 65% compared to traditional HVAC units, based on data from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Electric usage will increase with geothermal in winter months, but the additional cost won't be divided equally throughout the year. Because your electric bill will be lower in the summer than you paid previously, you'll be spending less money overall than when heating and cooling with a conventional system.
Running a geothermal heat pump costs about $100 to $200 per month, but you'll be able to enjoy the savings of a heat pump compared to running a traditional HVAC system. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a geothermal heat pump can save you up to 65% on your heating and cooling costs.
Expensive source of energy
As previously mentioned, most geothermal resources cannot be utilized in a cost-effective manner, at least not with current technology, level of subsidies, and energy prices. The upfront costs of geothermal heating and cooling systems for homes and commercial buildings are also steep.
The largest single disadvantage of geothermal energy is that it is location specific. Geothermal plants need to be built in places where the energy is accessible, which means that some areas are not able to exploit this resource.
Air and water pollution are two leading environmental issues associated with geothermal energy technologies. Additional concerns are the safe disposal of hazardous waste, siting and land subsidence.
Geothermal energy is renewable; it is not a fossil fuel that will be eventually used up. Earth is continuously radiating heat out from its core, and will continue to do so for billions of years. Some form of geothermal energy can be accessed and harvested anywhere in the world.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), property owners who install geothermal heat pumps can save up to 70 percent on heating costs and up to 50 percent on cooling costs, adding up to more than $1,000 in savings yearly.
Equipment for drilling wells and setting up power plants is extraordinarily expensive and training people to staff a geothermal power plant is time consuming and costly. There is also the restriction of where the geothermal energy can be used.
Geothermal systems can be designed to require no backup, even during the coldest temperatures.
Geothermal heat pumps, meanwhile, take heat from the Earth's constant ground temperature (45° to 75℉ depending on your location) to heat your home. High-efficiency geothermal systems tend to operate between 100 to 120℉. Your traditional HVAC system is designed to operate at 180 to 200℉.
Geothermal power stations in the United States are located exclusively within the Western United States where geothermal energy potential is highest. The highest concentrations are located in the Mayacamas Mountains and Imperial Valley of California, as well as in Western Nevada.
Affordable. Geothermal pays for itself in just five to seven years with up to 70% savings annually on heating and cooling costs. And all geothermal installations receive a 30% energy tax credit through 2032.
Numbers from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that homeowners using geothermal systems may realize savings of 30-70% on heating costs and 20-50% on cooling costs, compared to other conventional systems.
The United States leads the world in geothermal electricity-generating capacity—just over 4 gigawatts. That's enough to power the equivalent of about 3 million U.S. homes.
Geothermal will absolutely increase the resale value of your home because you now have the most energy efficient heating and cooling system available. This makes it more lucrative to potential buyers.
Now, the geothermal industry is at a critical juncture. New technologies are enabling access to previously untapped resources, while cost reductions and innovative financing models are paving the way for increasing geothermal's role in energy systems around the world.
Another barrier to widespread geothermal use is investment cost. “Geothermal is capital-intensive,” he notes, requiring comparatively higher initial investment than some other energy sources. Yet operational costs in the long run are basically zero, and geothermal is affordable, he adds.
The most active geothermal resources are usually found along major tectonic plate boundaries where most volcanoes are located. One of the most active geothermal areas in the world is called the Ring of Fire, which encircles the Pacific Ocean.
To install a geothermal heat pump in 2,000 square foot home it will cost between $15,000 to $38,000 based on the system size and loop type. This is double the price of of a conventional HVAC system, but the savings on utility bills will be beneficial in the long run. Find the best HVAC contractors in your area.
Using the in-ground loop field, a geothermal unit (or "ground-source heat pump") is able to pull heat energy from the 45°F-70°F earth to heat your home at efficiencies of over 400%. It's a totally unique technology and is well suited for heating and cooling spaces when the weather gets rough.
Your electric usage will increase with geothermal, but that additional cost won't be divided equally throughout the year. Your electric bill will likely be lower in the summer than you paid previously.
The payback period for a geothermal system is the time it takes for the energy savings to offset the initial investment. Typically, this payback period can range between 5 and 10 years. However, it's important to note that this is a ballpark figure and the actual payback period will depend on several factors.
Commonly uses two pipes, one buried at six feet, and the other at four feet, or two pipes placed side-by-side at five feet in the ground in a two-foot wide trench, requiring trenches at least four feet deep.