The Earth-Friendly Heat Pump
The greatest benefit of installing a geothermal heating and cooling system is the potential impact it could have on the environment. According to the US Department of Energy 40% of all US emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are the result of energy used to heat, cool and provide hot water for your home.
Ground source heat is naturally renewable and non-polluting. They generate no on-site emissions and have the lowest emissions among all heating and cooling technologies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called geothermal systems the most energy-efficient and environmentally clean way to condition the air in your home.
Geothermal systems currently in use help to remove more than 1.6 million metric tons of carbon emissions from the atmosphere every year. Those installations already in use are equivalent to taking 1,295,000 cars off the road, planting more than 385 million trees and reducing U.S. reliance on foreign fuels by over 21 million barrels of crude oil per year.
Even though the installation price of a geothermal system can be several times that of a conventional system of the same heating and cooling capacity, the additional costs are returned to you through energy savings in 5–10 years.
Since the components of a ground source heat pump are housed inside they are not susceptible to environmental hazards or vandalism. They have fewer moving parts, lowering the chance of mechanical breakdown. Geothermal heat pumps are estimated to last 10-15 years longer than most other heating and cooling systems. The ground loops carry a warranty of 50+ years.
To help with the initial cost of equipment and installation the federal government has a tax credit of 30% good through December 31, 2016 on qualifying systems. North Carolina offers a renewable energy tax credit on Geothermal Heat Pumps of 35% (up to $8,400) good through December 31, 2015. The utility companies also offer rebates – go to www.dsireusa.com for additional information on incentives.
There are many financing options available ask your Raleigh Heating & Air Consultant for the plan that will work best for you.