Member: Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium

While geothermal heating and cooling may sound futuristic, the basic principle has been in use for over half a century. Tens of thousands of geothermal heat pumps, or better said, ground-source heat pumps (GSHP), have been installed in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Rising fossil fuel costs and concern for the environment have created a demand for more efficient, renewable energy sources. An EPA study says that the emerging ground-source heat pumps have the highest performance and the lowest operating cost. GSHPs are such wise investments that utility companies and the U.S. Department of Energy are currently spending over $90.5 million to promote them.

Ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) are similar in limited ways to ordinary air heat pumps, but utilize the ground -- instead of outside air -- to provide heating, air conditioning, and hot water. GSHPs take advantage of stable temperature conditions in the ground and the nearly limitless supply of renewable heating and cooling energy that is stored there. This technology helps make GSHPs the most efficient, safe, and comfortable heating and cooling technology currently available commercially. We call our GSHP the EarthFurnace^®. The drawings below illustrate the underground loop idea; horizontal, vertical, and coiled in a pond.

You will save money. Did you know that 65% to 75% of the energy needed for a ground-source heat pump (GSHP) comes naturally from the ground? According to Virginia Power, GSHPs can reduce heating and cooling costs by 30% to 50% and even more. This is because GSHPs provide heat 35% to 50% more efficiently than traditional heating systems and air conditioning 25% to 30% more efficiently than traditional cooling systems. GSHP upgrades in new and existing homes can reduce energy consumption by anywhere from 25% to 75% compared to old systems and ordinary replacement systems. This means a $200 utility bill could drop to less than $100. Think of all the things you could do with all the money you would save! Many GSHPs include water heating capabilities, which can reduce water heating bills from 20% to 60%. That is even more money you could save! Even with the water heating capability, GSHPs use much less energy throughout the day but especially during peak demand hours. Energy-efficient home improvements may qualify homebuyers for an energy-efficient mortgage, which allows lenders to use a higher-than-normal debt-to-income ratio to calculate loan potential.

You will be more comfortable and safe. GSHPs provide high levels of heating comfort because they can provide a constant flow of warm air. Customer surveys show extraordinary levels of customer satisfaction, usually well over 90%. One survey had 99% of owners saying they would recommend one to a friend. Also, since their only outdoor components are pipes buried in the ground, GSHP owners enjoy total peace and quiet when relaxing outside in their yard. Moreover, no wood or fuels are combusted in a GSHP, so there is no smoke, no fear of carbon monoxide poisoning, and no strange smells or illnesses.

You will help the environment. Heating alone accounts for 32% of all energy usage in the USA. Think what that would be if it included air-conditioning! Think of all the pollution. Even household energy use contributes to air pollution, including 20% of all U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide. It also accounts for 26% and 15% of all U.S. emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, respectively. By using more energy efficient heating and cooling equipment, we can reduce this pollution -- and save money at the same time. Even with the water heating capability, GSHPs use much less energy throughout the day but especially during peak demand hours. During the harsh winter month of February, for example, the GSHP's peak demand for energy will be up to 80% lower than ordinary heat pumps. During the summer, July for example, the GSHP's demand will peak 30% or more below ordinary heat pumps. This reduces the possibility of brownouts or rolling blackouts and helps avoid expensive, new power plants being built. In its 1993 report "Space Conditioning: the Next Frontier," The EPA concluded that ground-source heat pump technologies represent a major opportunity for reducing national energy use and pollution, while delivering comfort, reliability and savings

We hold patents and patents pending on devices and methods that allow us to sell superior systems that can be installed in a manner that is microsurgery compared to the competition. We have many years experience and have installed many systems in buildings ranging from century-old farm houses with plenty of land all the way to brand-new townhouses with tiny yards. GSHPs have been installed in buildings both large and small. The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) in conjunction with the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium and the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) has granted our company president the title of Certified GeoExchange Designer for having completed the prescribed standards for certification and having demonstrated a high level of competence and ethical fitness. Contact us now! 

Key Benefits

Pricing (equipment only, typical installation, existing ducts)

For more information click on the following links and then return to our site using the back button on your browser or using our address www.EarthFurnace.com:  www.ghpc.org and www.igshpa.okstate.edu 

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Last modified: November 03, 2005