Benefits of Choosing Geothermal
Geothermal heat pumps act as an alternative to gas and electric heaters, drawing upon the heat of the earth itself to heat your home. A circulating system of tubes is buried beneath the ground, where the temperature stays more or less constant throughout the year. A ground heat exchanger moves heat back and forth between the system and the ground, helping to keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. In cities like Wake Forest, NC, geothermal heating and cooling is an appealing choice. Here are some of the benefits of choosing a geothermal system:
- Environmentally friendly. Geothermal systems reduce our dependence on fossil fuels because it doesn’t use much energy. More importantly, it generates no pollution itself: helping to keep the Earth green while providing clean and safe heating and cooling for your home. And geothermal energy is renewable, meaning you don’t have to worry about it ever running out.
- Efficient. Unlike gas and electrical heaters, geothermal heaters don’t cost you much in monthly electric bills. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, efficiency ratings can climb as high as 600% on cold winter nights, reducing the costs by as much as 80% over other forms of heating. Over time, it recoups the additional cost of investment, as well as adding resale value to your house as a whole.
- Reliability. Geothermal systems are surprisingly straightforward, and while they require regular maintenance and upkeep their components operate according to very simple principles. This makes geothermal heating and cooling extremely reliable, reducing the risk of a breakdown just when you need it the most.
Geothermal heat pumps can be set up along both horizontal planes (spreading the circulating tubes across a wide-but-shallow swatch of land) and vertical planes (sending the tubes deeper underground using a narrower piece of land). The former requires much more land space, though you can find homes suited to both systems. Geothermal heat pumps aren’t a casual investment, but they could very well be worthwhile in the long run. For advice and installation options, contact the Wake Forest, NC geothermal experts at Raleigh Heating & Air. Our experts can guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have.