Utilizing free energy from the earth beneath your feet, it is undeniable that geothermal is environmentally friendly and responsible. Geothermal heating and cooling uses the relatively constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool homes and businesses with 40% to 70% less energy than conventional systems. It also has the added benefit of providing free domestic hot water during the summer season and reduced cost for domestic hot water during the winter. All of these benefits sound good on top of "going green" but it all comes down to one final question. How much will this cost? Is geothermal "green" in both an investment perspective as well as an environment perspective?
Installation for geothermal heat pumps does have a high upfront cost. There are a lot of variables--where you live, the ground to be drilled, the square foot of the house--and though everyone agrees about its high initial expense, exactly “how much” remains vague at best. A good general idea for cost would be twice the price of a regular heat pump system with air conditioning. A geothermal heat pump costs about $2,500 per ton of capacity, with the typically sized house needing a three-ton unit and putting the cost at roughly $7,500. Installation can bump the costs up to $10,000 or more depending on depth of pipes, type of equipment, and soil conditions.
On the flip side, the geothermal heat pumps offer high efficiency and low operating cost. Savings on the electric bill are immediate and considerable. According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps can save homeowners 30 to 70 percent on heating and 20 to 50 percent on cooling costs over conventional systems. Average consensus is that it will take about 5-10 years to see a return in the investment but that utilizing geothermal energy could prove a good financial decision for the long-term homeowner. To encourage the switch to a renewable energy source, some utility companies and agencies may pay a rebate and energy Star-rated ground-source heat pumps may qualify for federal tax credit.
In the end, geothermal heat pumps are durable and require little maintenance. They have fewer mechanical problems and the underground piping used is often guaranteed to last 25 to 50 years. Quiet to operate and pollution free, geothermal heat pumps are an underused technology with a huge potential in the long run. Despite the debate on costs and the tough initial decision, figures indicate that 95% of heat pump owners would recommend a similar system to their friends or family.
Showing posts with label Clearwater Geothermal Installation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clearwater Geothermal Installation. Show all posts
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Cost of Geothermal Heat Pumps
Utilizing free energy from the earth beneath your feet, it is undeniable that geothermal is environmentally friendly and responsible. Geothermal heating and cooling uses the relatively constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool homes and businesses with 40% to 70% less energy than conventional systems. It also has the added benefit of providing free domestic hot water during the summer season and reduced cost for domestic hot water during the winter. All of these benefits sound good on top of "going green" but it all comes down to one final question. How much will this cost? Is geothermal "green" in both an investment perspective as well as an environment perspective?
Installation for geothermal heat pumps does have a high upfront cost. There are a lot of variables--where you live, the ground to be drilled, the square foot of the house--and though everyone agrees about its high initial expense, exactly “how much” remains vague at best. A good general idea for cost would be twice the price of a regular heat pump system with air conditioning. A geothermal heat pump costs about $2,500 per ton of capacity, with the typically sized house needing a three-ton unit and putting the cost at roughly $7,500. Installation can bump the costs up to $10,000 or more depending on depth of pipes, type of equipment, and soil conditions.
On the flip side, the geothermal heat pumps offer high efficiency and low operating cost. Savings on the electric bill are immediate and considerable. According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps can save homeowners 30 to 70 percent on heating and 20 to 50 percent on cooling costs over conventional systems. Average consensus is that it will take about 5-10 years to see a return in the investment but that utilizing geothermal energy could prove a good financial decision for the long-term homeowner. To encourage the switch to a renewable energy source, some utility companies and agencies may pay a rebate and energy Star-rated ground-source heat pumps may qualify for federal tax credit.
In the end, geothermal heat pumps are durable and require little maintenance. They have fewer mechanical problems and the underground piping used is often guaranteed to last 25 to 50 years. Quiet to operate and pollution free, geothermal heat pumps are an underused technology with a huge potential in the long run. Despite the debate on costs and the tough initial decision, figures indicate that 95% of heat pump owners would recommend a similar system to their friends or family.
Installation for geothermal heat pumps does have a high upfront cost. There are a lot of variables--where you live, the ground to be drilled, the square foot of the house--and though everyone agrees about its high initial expense, exactly “how much” remains vague at best. A good general idea for cost would be twice the price of a regular heat pump system with air conditioning. A geothermal heat pump costs about $2,500 per ton of capacity, with the typically sized house needing a three-ton unit and putting the cost at roughly $7,500. Installation can bump the costs up to $10,000 or more depending on depth of pipes, type of equipment, and soil conditions.
On the flip side, the geothermal heat pumps offer high efficiency and low operating cost. Savings on the electric bill are immediate and considerable. According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps can save homeowners 30 to 70 percent on heating and 20 to 50 percent on cooling costs over conventional systems. Average consensus is that it will take about 5-10 years to see a return in the investment but that utilizing geothermal energy could prove a good financial decision for the long-term homeowner. To encourage the switch to a renewable energy source, some utility companies and agencies may pay a rebate and energy Star-rated ground-source heat pumps may qualify for federal tax credit.
In the end, geothermal heat pumps are durable and require little maintenance. They have fewer mechanical problems and the underground piping used is often guaranteed to last 25 to 50 years. Quiet to operate and pollution free, geothermal heat pumps are an underused technology with a huge potential in the long run. Despite the debate on costs and the tough initial decision, figures indicate that 95% of heat pump owners would recommend a similar system to their friends or family.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Geothermal Air-Conditioning in Classrooms
GEO Power System Inc. (headquartered in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan), a company specializing in developing houses that can use geothermal energy, is now engaged in the introduction of a geothermal ventilation system it calls the "GEO Power System" into public elementary and junior high schools in Fukuoka Prefecture. These schools are certified as "eco schools" (environmentally-oriented schools that demonstrate ecological techniques such as solar power generation, solar energy utilization, tree planting, energy conservation and resource saving) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.
The patented construction method is a highly efficient and high-performance ventilation system to harness geothermal energy, a clean natural energy which is stable throughout the year. Unlike other conventional geothermal ventilation methods, in this method an aluminum pipe is buried at a depth of up to five meters underground. The method is characterized by a double-pipe structure in which a thin pipe is fitted inside an outer pipe. In summer, cool air (14 to 16 degrees Celsius) is taken in while in winter, warm air (16 to 18 degrees) is taken into the pipe. The air in the pipe is then circulated inside the building, making it possible to substantially reduce the cost of air-conditioning. According to GEO Power System Inc., the system also has health benefits, as the health of occupants will not be injured by excessive air-conditioning, and the innate human body functions that regulate temperature will be improved.
The first stage of installation work is expected to be completed in March 2003. The geothermal ventilation system has already been introduced to a private university, a large kindergarten and a community center in Fukuoka Prefecture, but this is the first time that the system is introduced in public schools.
In summer of the year 2002 the Japanese government came up with a new policy to install air-conditioners in 300,000 classrooms at public schools, out of fear that higher urban temperatures due to the heat island effect (abnormal warming of the urban atmosphere due to the high concentration of heat-absorbing buildings and roads, and lack of greenery) would lower children's academic achievements. The Energy Conservation Center of Japan estimates that the air-conditioning of 300,000 classrooms, would result in over 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, the utilization of geothermal energy is seen as a promising means to promote the use of renewable energy that will not cause global warming.
The patented construction method is a highly efficient and high-performance ventilation system to harness geothermal energy, a clean natural energy which is stable throughout the year. Unlike other conventional geothermal ventilation methods, in this method an aluminum pipe is buried at a depth of up to five meters underground. The method is characterized by a double-pipe structure in which a thin pipe is fitted inside an outer pipe. In summer, cool air (14 to 16 degrees Celsius) is taken in while in winter, warm air (16 to 18 degrees) is taken into the pipe. The air in the pipe is then circulated inside the building, making it possible to substantially reduce the cost of air-conditioning. According to GEO Power System Inc., the system also has health benefits, as the health of occupants will not be injured by excessive air-conditioning, and the innate human body functions that regulate temperature will be improved.
The first stage of installation work is expected to be completed in March 2003. The geothermal ventilation system has already been introduced to a private university, a large kindergarten and a community center in Fukuoka Prefecture, but this is the first time that the system is introduced in public schools.
In summer of the year 2002 the Japanese government came up with a new policy to install air-conditioners in 300,000 classrooms at public schools, out of fear that higher urban temperatures due to the heat island effect (abnormal warming of the urban atmosphere due to the high concentration of heat-absorbing buildings and roads, and lack of greenery) would lower children's academic achievements. The Energy Conservation Center of Japan estimates that the air-conditioning of 300,000 classrooms, would result in over 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, the utilization of geothermal energy is seen as a promising means to promote the use of renewable energy that will not cause global warming.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tropical Breeze Home Life
Published by Tropical Breeze Publications, Inc., Safety Harbor, Florida
September 1993
Buried Pipe Offers A Better Way To “Cool It”
By Jim Pochurek
Jay Egg is a bright young man on his way up the entrepreneurial ladder who has a tiger by the tail in the form of an 1,800-foot-lond polyethylene pipe he wants to bury in your back yard. His company, Egg Systems Inc., is an embryonic firm located in Oldsmar. He feels that his company is on the cutting edge of an industry whose time has come. That is, the conversion of the natural cooling and heating reservoir of Mother Earth into an affordable, environmentally friendly system to cool and heat your home.
Tampa Geothermal Air Conditioning
First, let’s go back to the good old days. When folks lived in case, they were protected from heat and cold by the mass of earth that surrounded them. Civilization forgot about the natural resource for thousands of years. When folks got cold they donned their long johns, built a fire or generated some body heat. When they got hot, they shed layers of clothes and jumped into the water. Then, in the 1940s, and engineer again observed that just below the surface the earth’s temperature remains relatively constant throughout the seasons. It absorbs about half the sun’s energy that strikes it. The thin air around us is far less thermally absorbent. Thus, the earth could provide a higher temperature source in the winter and a cooler source in the summer months. The trick was to tap into this natural ground source of energy.
An electrically powered system was devised to tap into the earth’s energy. It worked. It was called a heat pump, and the rest is history. Basically, this is how such a system works. It has three components: a ground heat pump unit, the liquid heat exchanger medium (a closed loop pipe system), and the air delivery system (ductwork). The closed-loop is a continuous loop of polyethylene pipe or tubing buried in the ground. It’s filled with water or and anti-freeze solution and connected to an indoor heat pump, forming an underground loop.
Laid in trenches up to six feet deep, the tubing may be doubled up or laid like a slinky with no loss of efficiency. If properly installed, the polyethylene tubing will last over fifty years. About 500-600 feet of tubing will produce one ton of heat pump capacity. A well-insulated 2,000 square foot home would require 1,500 to 1,800 feet of tubing. The cool/warm air is distributed through the home via ductwork. As the ground source heat pump is located indoors, it’s life span is greatly increased.
Clearwater Air Conditioning Service
In general, the geothermal system costs about twice as much as a conventional heating/air conditioning system. It may reduce heating costs by 60%, reduce air conditioning costs by 25% in the summer, and provide hot water for normal household use.
Ground source heat pumps have less moving parts and creates less noise than outdoor units. Jay Egg grew up in Barstow, CA prior to joining the Navy and becoming a nuclear power qualified electrician. He was an instructor at the nuclear power school at the Orlando Naval Training Facility before leaving the service in 1987. He worked for several local companies in the heating and air conditioning career field, received his FloridaStateCertification, and got involved with thermal energy storage.
Seeing a strong need for commercial and residential geothermal energy use, he incorporated in 1991. Although his facility of 2,400 square feet in Oldsmar provides storage and sheet metal works for ducting, he already has the need to double his working area. He and his partner expect to triple their number of installations this year over the last twelve months and expect the business to grow considerably in the future. Egg said, “I love the geothermal technology. It’s the Cadillac of all air conditioning systems. I am proud of our company’s involvement.” He went on to state, “I would never recommend to reconvert a working system until it breaks. Then consider a retrofit job.” Because of the costs involved, geothermal systems are more ideally suited during the new construction process. He anticipates working with developers in the future, looking forward to installing a geothermal system for an entire subdivision. The underground tubing would be “snubbed out” for each building lot, at considerable savings over piecemeal, individual installation for those homeowners who want it. Egg said his geothermal system will be on display at the Architectural Design Center in Largo during the Image ’93 Program September 17-19. For more information, call Egg Comfort., (727) 848-0134 or go to http://www.eggcomfort.com
Rainy day activities for kids into nature
Sometimes to a kid, a rainy/wintery day can be the absolute worst! Trapped inside with nothing to do-especially when they would like nothing better than to be outside!
Here are some ideas for activities that might help keep them interested in creative learning, as well as keep them occupied until the weather breaks!
Tampa Air Conditioning Repair
1. Draw a nature park. Fill the park with whatever animals and plants come to mind, and then color them in.
2. Draw a spider web. Add the spider, and color it in. What does this spider eat? How big is it? where is it found in the world?
3. Make a tent with a sheet and chairs. Better load up for that expedition to wherever they are going!
4. Pick an animal they have never seen before out of a book and tell the child nothing about it. Have them draw and and make a fun report about it. What is it called? Where does it live? What does it eat? What are its predators? When the child is finished, compare and contrast with the actual facts regarding the animal.
5. Turn bath time into marine animal time! Load up that tub with just about anything safe and non-toxic, and leave it to the child's imagination to create a whole new underwater world.
Rainy days can be fun with a little imagination and some direction-feel free to use these ideas or create your own based upon them. Good luck!
Clearwater Geothermal Installation
Here are some ideas for activities that might help keep them interested in creative learning, as well as keep them occupied until the weather breaks!
Tampa Air Conditioning Repair
1. Draw a nature park. Fill the park with whatever animals and plants come to mind, and then color them in.
2. Draw a spider web. Add the spider, and color it in. What does this spider eat? How big is it? where is it found in the world?
3. Make a tent with a sheet and chairs. Better load up for that expedition to wherever they are going!
4. Pick an animal they have never seen before out of a book and tell the child nothing about it. Have them draw and and make a fun report about it. What is it called? Where does it live? What does it eat? What are its predators? When the child is finished, compare and contrast with the actual facts regarding the animal.
5. Turn bath time into marine animal time! Load up that tub with just about anything safe and non-toxic, and leave it to the child's imagination to create a whole new underwater world.
Rainy days can be fun with a little imagination and some direction-feel free to use these ideas or create your own based upon them. Good luck!
Clearwater Geothermal Installation
5 easy green tips for kids
5 easy green tips for kids
1. Turn off the lights when leaving a room, or better yet-reduce the need for electricity by opening those curtains and letting the light come in!. Light bulbs require electricity, and often electricity is produced from power plants that use fossil fuels. This is an easy way to save energy, and everyone can help.
Tampa Geothermal
2. Recycle. It is easier now more than ever to recycle, and nearly everything can be reused paper to glass. Utilize existing bins, or create your own and have a little fun learning to sort through the different types of products we use on a daily basis.
3. Only use as much water as you need. Turn off faucets when not directly in use, and keep an eye (or ear!) out for dripping or leaky fixtures. Water is another resource, and conserving it is another way to "go green!"
4. Use shopping bags when going to the grocery store. Have fun decorating cloth bags, and then remember to take them with you on your next outing. Reducing the need for plastic bags is a great way to conserve.
5. Make a compost. Composting is a great way to reduce waste in landfills and a wonderful way to naturally fertilize your garden!
Clearwater Air Conditioning
1. Turn off the lights when leaving a room, or better yet-reduce the need for electricity by opening those curtains and letting the light come in!. Light bulbs require electricity, and often electricity is produced from power plants that use fossil fuels. This is an easy way to save energy, and everyone can help.
Tampa Geothermal
2. Recycle. It is easier now more than ever to recycle, and nearly everything can be reused paper to glass. Utilize existing bins, or create your own and have a little fun learning to sort through the different types of products we use on a daily basis.
3. Only use as much water as you need. Turn off faucets when not directly in use, and keep an eye (or ear!) out for dripping or leaky fixtures. Water is another resource, and conserving it is another way to "go green!"
4. Use shopping bags when going to the grocery store. Have fun decorating cloth bags, and then remember to take them with you on your next outing. Reducing the need for plastic bags is a great way to conserve.
5. Make a compost. Composting is a great way to reduce waste in landfills and a wonderful way to naturally fertilize your garden!
Clearwater Air Conditioning
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