What is GeoExchange? - Page 7
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Page 7 of 7
System Design: While designing a residential GeoExchange system is not particularly complicated, always use experienced contractors. The contractor should carefully select the size of the GeoExchange system, the size and design of the loop, and the type of fluid that will circulate through it. The contractor should also examine ways to use the GeoExchange system to provide hot water. Finally, the contractor should examine your home to ensure the ductwork is designed and installed properly to prevent leaks, as well as to ensure it is properly insulated and has window glazings and other energy-efficiency features. Minimizing heating and cooling needs reduces the required size, hence the cost, of the GeoExchange system.
Sound Investment
GeoExchange is becoming the system of choice in many parts of the United States as consumers learn more about its aesthetic advantages and long-term value, and as it becomes more widely available.
GeoExchange is no longer just for the affluent, a reputation it once held because typical early buyers were owners of upscale homes. They wanted the quiet comfort GeoExchange systems provide, and they were more than willing--and could afford--to pay the cost premium associated with early systems. This is because the extraordinarily low operating costs of GeoExchange systems more than make up for any higher installation costs within a few years. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, GeoExchange systems save homeowners 30-70 percent in heating costs, and 20-50 percent in cooling costs, compared to conventional systems. GeoExchange systems also save money in other ways. They are highly reliable, require little maintenance, and are built to last for decades. They add considerably to the value of homes.
Today, homeowners in all income brackets can take advantage of the benefits of GeoExchange heating and cooling. Initial costs have declined substantially as many more builders and heating and cooling contractors nationwide make GeoExchange systems available, and as innovative techniques enable the loops to be installed more quickly (often in one day) and for lower cost.
What’s more, some electric utilities around the nation now have incentive programs and low-interest financing programs which can make GeoExchange even more affordable. Many financial institutions also now allow home buyers to qualify for larger mortgages if they purchase a house that utilizes a GeoExchange system. The reduction in monthly energy bills more than offsets the slightly higher mortgage payment. With such mortgages, homeowners with GeoExchange systems can begin saving money from day one, then go on saving year after year!
Today, the major barrier to wider use of this marvelous technology is the fact that many consumers simply aren’t aware it’s there.
A Wise Choice
GeoExchange is a smart investment for consumers who want a system that provides a high level of comfort and low monthly energy bills for as long as they own their homes.
1 A study by the Environmental Protection Agency, Space Conditioning: The Next Frontier (Office of Air and Radiation, 430-R-93-004), found that GeoExchange systems are much more efficient than competing fuel technologies when ALL losses in the fuel cycle, including waste heat at the powerplants during the generation of electricity, are accounted for. High-efficiency GeoExchange systems are on average 48 percent more efficient than the best gas furnaces and more than 75 percent more efficient than oil furnaces. The best GeoExchange systems even outperformed the best gas technology, gas heat pumps, by an average of 36 percent in the heating mode and 43 percent in the cooling mode.
2 Surveys by utility companies indicate a higher level of consumer satisfaction for geoexchange systems than for conventional systems. Polls consistently show that more than 95 percent of all geoexchange customers would recommend such systems to a family member or friend.
