When you put a new heating or cooling system in your home, you need to think about how much it will cost. First, it’s important to look at the energy load again and figure out how to lower it so that the home uses the least amount of energy possible. When you make your home’s energy use as efficient as possible, you can save a lot of money on power bills and make the home more comfortable overall. Geothermal heat pumps, which are also called geo-exchange or ground source, are electrically driven systems that move fluid through long loops of ground pipe to move heat or cool air between the earth and the house. It’s important to note that heat pumps don’t make heat or cool the house; instead, they use a refrigerant cycle to move heat or cool the house from the ground. Geothermal heat pumps can be added to systems that are already in place, such as forced air or radiant floor heating. It can also be put in a building that has just been made. The amount of cooling and warmth a home needs determines the size of the geothermal heat pump and the ground loop that is needed. Basically, tons are used to measure how much a geothermal system can hold. Three tons is the right amount for a typical home. To be clear, though, the right size of geothermal heat pump for a home isn’t just based on the size of the house. Other things also play a role. A person can also expect to pay all of these things toward the cost of installing a geothermal heat pump.
Geothermal Heating and Cooling Market Overview for Cost
The geothermal cooling and heating market is growing at a rate of about 12% per year. This is mostly because more people want highly efficient HVAC systems that use renewable energy. Geothermal prices are becoming more expensive compared to how much they were a decade ago. This is because more companies are making ground source heating and cooling systems and installers are getting better at what they do. A person can expect to pay around a dollar a month for geothermal heating and cooling. This amount would pay for a full geothermal system. For bigger houses, high-end ground source heat pump systems may cost more. It’s important to note that the total cost of geothermal heating will depend on your home’s size, location, the type of soil, the amount of land you have access to, the climate where you live, the condition of your current ductwork, and the heat pump you choose. Let’s take a closer look at how much it costs to put geothermal heat pumps. Like we already said, there are a lot of things that can change how much a person spends on their geothermal system.
Cost Consideration for Water-Based HVAC Systems
Systems that change water into air: These are also called forced air systems. During the winter, heat builds up in the water that moves through the pipes underground. This heat is then turned into air that is pushed through your home’s ducts by a blower fan. In the summer, it’s the other way around: heat is drawn into the house from the air and sent into the water through pipes underwater. Before it is sent into the house, this cools down in the stable temperature beneath.
What are Water to Water Systems? These are hydronic systems where heat moves from the water in the loop system to the water in the baseboard heat system or the radiant heat floor system inside. Geothermal heat pumps, which are also called ground source heat pumps (GSHPs), basically take heat from the ground to warm your home and spread it out in the ground to cool your home.
Exploring Geothermal Loop Systems Cost Considerations
The above graph of geothermal heating and cooling costs shows that the loop system installation takes up a big chunk of the cost. Basically, there are two types of loop systems; horizontal and vertical.
A horizontal loop system has a bunch of twisted plastic pipes that are buried deep in the ground in horizontal troughs. Because the temperature below the surface stays the same, the dips need to be deep enough to keep the water from freezing. It costs less to set up the horizontal loop systems. But they need land that can hold three to five holes that are 130 to 160 feet long and 12 to 20 feet apart. There will need to be at least a plot of land for this project.
There are times when the room doesn’t allow for horizontal troughs, so vertical loop systems are used instead. A bunch of wells will be dug here, and the pipe loops will be put in right there. A lot of the time, the wells are deep enough to reach water underground, which is fine. There are also loop systems that can be put in ponds or other areas of water and cost the same. When you use online ground source heat pump cost tools, be careful because most of them give you prices that are much lower than the real cost.
Factors Influencing the Cost of Installing a Geothermal Heat Pump System
Things that will determine How much is a geothermal heat pump system? According to what was already said, there are certain things that affect how much a ground course heat pump costs to install. Let’s take a closer look at these things.
Size and Holding Power: The price will depend on the size and quantity of your unit. Prices will go up as the size gets bigger. That range can go from about 2 tons (24000 BTU) to 10 tons (120000 BTU) for homes. In general, a house will need a unit that weighs between 2.5 and 5 tons.
Different Kinds of Loops: Whether a horizontal or vertical method is best for you will depend on how much space you have. Most of the time, horizontal loop systems are cheaper than their vertical counterparts. However, you need enough room to properly place horizontal loop systems. Luckily, Earth River Geothermal only sets up vertical closed-loop ground source heating and cooling systems and geothermal ground loop pipes.
GSHP Pick: You can choose between split water to the air system, packed water to the air system, or water to the water system. There are different costs for each of these choices, and the one you make will definitely change how much you have to spend.
How Well the System Works: The system’s efficiency changes. For cooling, the range right now is from about 15 EER on the low end to over 30 EER on the high end. When it comes to cooling, COP rates range from about 3.0 to above 5.0. This means that the higher it is, the better it works.
Features: The price of your geothermal heating system will also depend on the features you want it to have. Homeowners often look for features like the ability to make domestic hot water, as well as air cooling and heating, Wi-Fi control, and monitoring. This all changes the total cost of geothermal energy.
Performance: The cost of installing geothermal heat will depend on the brand of parts you choose and how they work with your home. Most of the names make parts for water-to-air systems that work with both single-stage and two-stage systems. The price will change because of what you choose.
Why Installing Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems is a Good Idea
Different from regular heating and cooling systems, geothermal heating systems have a number of benefits that make them a better choice. These are shown below in bold.
Eco-Friendly: GSHP systems are very efficient, even more so than regular air-source heat pumps. One type of heat pump has an EER of about 17 and the other type has an EER of 40 or more. Also, compared to most remote heat pumps, which have an EER of about 20, this one is a lot more efficient.
Low Costs of Running: The initial cost is high, but the ongoing costs are cheap. This is because the home is using less energy, which already means that the electricity bills are low.
Incentives: The government geothermal heating and cooling system tax credit is 30% of the total cost of buying and installing the system right now. This means that if the system installation cost was $20,000, it is now only $14,000. The Maryland Residential Clean Energy Grant Program and the Anne Arundel County Geothermal Heat Pump Property Tax Credit are two other benefits.
Renewable Power: To cool or heat, geothermal devices take advantage of the stable temperature below, which is between 55°F and 57°F. Because of this, you need energy that comes from fossil fuels to run the fan and circulation pump. In fact, this can be taken care of completely by using photovoltaic solar power.
Durability: Since ground source heat pumps are generally well taken care of, they should last twenty to twenty-five years. It is possible for a geothermal vertical loop device to last for forty to over sixty years.
Contact Us for a Sustainable and Cost-Effective Future
With our skilled geothermal solutions, you can unlock the power of clean energy! Give us a call right now to start talking about your geothermal needs. Our hardworking team is ready to help you through the process and answer any questions you may have. Find out what geothermal energy can do for you and start moving toward a better future. Our skilled professionals are ready to help you, whether you’re thinking about residential or business uses. Save money on energy and help the environment at the same time. Don’t miss this chance. Get in touch with us right away to get a personalized geothermal installation cost quote that fits your needs. Let’s use the Earth’s natural heat to make an energy answer that lasts longer and works better.
“Earth-Friendly Comfort: Geothermal Heating, Because Every Degree Counts!”