This young couple wanted their home to be comfortable and healthy as the wife works from home and as they start their family. Their small home was built in 1952, and it sits on Governor Bond Lake. In the spring, summer, and fall the homeowners spend most of their time outside entertaining friends and enjoying the lake, so they wanted to get rid of their old, rusty, outdoor unit to improve the look of their beautiful, outdoor living space. Because they are still in the early stages of homeownership, it was also important to the family that they would have the flexibility to add a pool sometime in the future without disrupting their loop field. A few years after installing geothermal, they saw the value of adding a solar PV array for ultimate energy-efficiency and cost-savings. Over the years, their family grew from two to four and they opted to build a new home on the same piece of property. The move allowed them to rent this home as another source of income. They found value in having both the geothermal and solar system installed for the rental house. They’re able to rent for a fixed, flat fee, as they can easily see what their utility bills are, and finding a quality renter was seamless by advertising geothermal and solar features.

The home uses an Ecobee Wifi thermostat and washable 1” electrostatic filters for both the house and shed. Additionally, the homeowners added new ductwork in the rooms and also in the basement. The unit in the house utilizes a horizontal racetrack loop field and directional bore heading to protect the landscaping and eliminate interior piping. The geothermal unit in the shed used directional bore loops (200’ coils) 20 feet below the middle of the back yard to give the homeowners the option of adding a pool in the future. After the geothermal system was put in, the home was insulated with spray foam and cellulose insulation. Spray foam insulation was added to the floor joists allowing the family to heat and cool the basement to a comfortable temperature. For solar, the couple opted for an oversized ground mount system that is located next to their shed. This array covers the home and shed’s electrical and utility needs, which allows the owners to take advantage of their net metering policy due to the excess energy created. The location of this array allowed for easy wiring connections and the inverter to be mounted in the barn (optional). This installation was completed during a two-day period, with minimal ground disruptions. The couple also left additional space beside the installed ground mount for future solar additions, if needed.