Compared to 2020-2021 winter, households will spend significantly more to stay warm over the next several months. Homes using propane as their heat source will spend 54% more; homes heating with oil will spend 43% more; homes relying on natural gas will spend 30% more; and last, but certainly not least, homes using electric heat sources will spend 6% more. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) warns homeowners of these forecasts in a winter fuel outlook, so you can budget and prepare.
In the quest to learn more about geothermal it can be difficult to find all the information you need to form an educated opinion. While it’s easy to research all of geothermal’s benefits (savings, efficiency, comfort, and more), it’s a much more difficult task to learn about the true costs involved when installing this technology, and where your money is going when you do decide to invest! Let’s break down what a geothermal heating and cooling system could cost you.
Enertech Global is both somewhat dispirited yet immensely excited to announce that our own Jeff Hammond is moving on. This move, however, will be a great benefit to the larger geothermal industry, and Mr. Hammond will be bringing his expertise and knowledge to IGSHPA. The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association has been laser-focused on re-invigorating the entire industry, and Jeff’s transition is coming at the perfect time. We have no doubt that Mr. Hammond and IGSHPA’s combined experience and passion will be a significant asset to the future of ground source heat pumps. Read IGSHPA’s official press release below!
Summer is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to the performance of your heating and cooling system. Many homeowners struggle with their air conditioning in the warm, humid months, often requiring an emergency visit from an HVAC technician. Those who already have geothermal installed are a few steps ahead of their neighbors: The unit is kept indoors, it’s supremely quiet, and is the most efficient cooling solution on the market. Still, there are plenty of ways you can optimize your system. If you’re wondering how you can maximize the performance of your geothermal heat pump in the summer, the following summer cooling tips will get you on the right track!
A salt-encrusted car, icicles on the gutters, and air that hurts your face when you go outside. All of this can only mean one thing: winter is here, and here to stay. It’s no secret that when the temperatures dip, many heating systems cannot keep up with the demand of the average home, especially those with poor insulation.
Luckily, homeowners with a geothermal heat pump installed are more than well-equipped to handle a harsh winter. Geothermal offers many benefits over traditional air-source or combustion-type heating systems. Using the in-ground loop field, a geothermal unit (or “ground-source heat pump”) is able to pull heat energy from the 45°F-70°F earth to heat your home at efficiencies of over 400%. It’s a totally unique technology and is well suited for heating and cooling spaces when the weather gets rough. We’ll always recommend that people insulate properly when constructing the home, but we understand that’s not always feasible in the short term when the weather is about to turn sour. So, read on to learn 4 things you can do (or avoid) right now to get the best performance out of your geothermal system in cold weather!
Many homeowners have the desire to reduce their energy usage and work towards a cleaner, more sustainable home, and geothermal is the perfect option to check off those boxes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, geothermal stands as the “most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective” solution for keeping your home comfortable. With all those benefits, it has been historically difficult to get a solid, homeowner-focused financing plan for this technology. Now, you can install a geothermal heat pump for no money down, and can actually save more on utilities than your monthly payment costs. Let’s see how!
The residential home market is in a constant state of flux. This is reflected not only in the market value of homes, but also in what goes into those homes – and these items heavily influence how and what consumers purchase. This goes for new construction as well as pre-existing structures. Every year, more and more homeowners look for energy efficiency when buying a new home. According to a study performed by Shelton Group, 85% of homeowners said they’d pay more for an Energy Star-certified home. Since over 42% of a home’s utility bills are attributed to heating, cooling, and hot water costs, this is absolutely the first place we need to look to get our projects up to snuff for the modern homeowner.
Here in 2020, energy production, energy independence, and carbon footprints are obvious hot-button topics. Conversation about climate change are difficult to avoid no matter what side of the fence you stand on, even if you’re sitting in the middle. However, a home or building project that pulls significantly fewer Kilowatt Hours (kWh) from the grid is a worthy undertaking, whether you’re looking to save money or to save the environment. These days, the U.S. only has an estimated 5,000 net-zero energy single-family homes, but this number is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, thanks to some proactive incentives. If you’re looking at building a net-zero home yourself, you likely know that it’s not a simple as throwing a few solar panels onto your roof and calling it a day. Let’s look at 3 important aspects to consider when you’re looking to build your very own energy-efficient structure!
Sorting through all your options when choosing a new heating and cooling system can be a complex process! Most folks have at least heard of geothermal and can tell you about its efficiency, but that may be all they know. Are geothermal heating and cooling systems are highly efficient, extraordinarily silent, durable, and eligible for many incentives and financing options? Yes! But… don’t they use heat from deep underground? Do I need to live at the base of a volcano to make it work? Take our quick quiz to see if your home can be pre-qualified for the most efficient, cost-effective HVAC system around: Geothermal!
