Geothermal heat pumps can be installed in some urban and suburban areas if they utilize dedicated water systems not interconnected with the domestic water or sanitary systems.
Several houses, all the apartments in a building or an entire community could be looped into a network of ground water distribution and return, if conditions were right. In addition, vertical closed-loop systems can be installed in urban and suburban areas where the bore holes can be drilled in parking lots, open plazas, or even under the footprint of new buildings, if the bores are drilled and the loops installed before building construction begins. Open-loop, two-well systems can even be installed if land area is sufficient to permit proper well spacing, aquifer capacity is sufficient, and local regulations permit.
Tampa Geothermal Air Conditioning
In short, it is technically feasible to use a geothermal heat pump in a city or a suburb. However, local government restrictions or local ground water or geologic conditions may limit its use, so be sure to check with your appropriate authorities
Showing posts with label Tampa Air Conditioning Service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tampa Air Conditioning Service. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The geothermal way to save on energy bills
The geothermal way to save on energy bills
By Suzie Schottelkotte
Mulberry – When Jack Hathaway’s electric bill began averaging more than $200, he decided that he’d had enough. But he wasn’t about to sacrifice his air conditioning, so he began looking for ways to reduce his energy costs. Hathaway believes he’s found his answer in eight tons of coiled plastic tubing, measuring 8,000 linear feet, buried four feet under the ground. “It’s a geothermal system,” said Hathaway, 48. “My goal is to have an electric bill that’s less than $25, and I think that’s going to happen.” With Hathaway’s existing 1,590-square-foot house in Mulberry, reaching that goal seems plausible. But he’s adding an estimated 3,700 square feet of living space onto the back of his home and with a second floor, which creates a greater challenge. “We’re going to be building the addition using polystyrene foam blocks, which are highly efficient for energy,” said Hathaway, who lives at 3045 Dove Lane. “
Combining those together (with the geothermal system) should make for a very efficient house.” Jay Egg, a Tampa contractor who’s installing Hathaway’s system, said that the average geothermal system reduces a homeowner’s electric bill by half. “By comparison, the geothermal system costs about twice as much to install,” Egg said. “But you make up the difference in energy savings, most of the time within a few years.” The system costs about $11,000 for a 3,500-square-foot home, compared to an estimated $6,000 for a standard central heat and air system or heat pump. Geothermal technology isn’t new, said Egg, president of Egg Systems Inc. in Tampa. “The technology has been around for quite awhile,” he said. “It’s been used quite a bit up North, but it’s gradually becoming more popular here.”
Clearwater Air Conditioning
The system circulates water through underground pipes that ultimately carry water through the home’s air transfer unit. In the unit, the water either heats or cools the air that’s blown into the home, depending on the season. Since the lower ground in Central Florida, beginning at three feet below the surface, maintains a constant temperature of 72 degrees, water passing through pipes in the ground is heated or cooled to that temperature. “You can also tie in a hot water tank to this system, and use it to heat your water,” Egg said. The water circulation system is closed, meaning that the water never leaves the pipes, he said. “We’ve had people ask about leaks,” Egg said. “These pipes are made of high-density polyethylene, the same material that’s used for natural gas distribution lines. We use heat fusion to join the pipes. “Basically, you’re looking at a 300-year life span for this material,” he said. John Currier, manager of energy services for Tampa Electric Co., said that the utility has endorsed geothermal technology. “We think it has a lot of promise,” he said. “It’s a renewable resource because it’s a closed system coming out of the ground, and it reduces energy costs by as much as 50 percent.”
Instead of manufacturing the warm or cool air, as with conventional units, the system uses the ground to adjust the temperature, then blows the air into the home. “The only down side is the cost,” Currier said. “But it makes up for that in the low operating costs.” Ed Goggans, service manager for Lineberger Heating and Cooling Inc. in Lakeland, agreed that geothermal systems hold promise. “it sure sounds like a good system, and it wouldn’t require much maintenance,” said Goggans, whose company installs conventional heating and cooling systems. “I think we always need to look at new technology with an open mind.”
Tampa Geothermal Installation
Hathaway said he’s had no second thoughts about installing a system at his Mulberry home. I’ve known that it works, because my sister (in Highlands county) has been on a system like this for 15 years,” he said. “They’ve never had a problem. They have a really large house, and their utility bills are never more than about $90.” Hathaway expected to have the pipes installed this week, then he’ll begin construction on his addition. “I’m hoping to have the roof on the addition by the first of the year,” said Hathaway, a retired sales manager for Motorola, “if the weather cooperates.” Because of the size of Hathaway’s addition, he’s installing one air transfer unit for the existing house and a second unit for the addition. That will give him more temperature control in different parts of the house, and allow him to close off those areas that aren’t being used. The cost for the second unit, Egg said, is about $1,200. “You don’t have to install a separate unit, though,” Egg said. “You can do a zoned system with up to 20 zones per unit. But some people choose to have a second unit because it does afford greater control, and there’s less energy loss.”
By Suzie Schottelkotte
Mulberry – When Jack Hathaway’s electric bill began averaging more than $200, he decided that he’d had enough. But he wasn’t about to sacrifice his air conditioning, so he began looking for ways to reduce his energy costs. Hathaway believes he’s found his answer in eight tons of coiled plastic tubing, measuring 8,000 linear feet, buried four feet under the ground. “It’s a geothermal system,” said Hathaway, 48. “My goal is to have an electric bill that’s less than $25, and I think that’s going to happen.” With Hathaway’s existing 1,590-square-foot house in Mulberry, reaching that goal seems plausible. But he’s adding an estimated 3,700 square feet of living space onto the back of his home and with a second floor, which creates a greater challenge. “We’re going to be building the addition using polystyrene foam blocks, which are highly efficient for energy,” said Hathaway, who lives at 3045 Dove Lane. “
Combining those together (with the geothermal system) should make for a very efficient house.” Jay Egg, a Tampa contractor who’s installing Hathaway’s system, said that the average geothermal system reduces a homeowner’s electric bill by half. “By comparison, the geothermal system costs about twice as much to install,” Egg said. “But you make up the difference in energy savings, most of the time within a few years.” The system costs about $11,000 for a 3,500-square-foot home, compared to an estimated $6,000 for a standard central heat and air system or heat pump. Geothermal technology isn’t new, said Egg, president of Egg Systems Inc. in Tampa. “The technology has been around for quite awhile,” he said. “It’s been used quite a bit up North, but it’s gradually becoming more popular here.”
Clearwater Air Conditioning
The system circulates water through underground pipes that ultimately carry water through the home’s air transfer unit. In the unit, the water either heats or cools the air that’s blown into the home, depending on the season. Since the lower ground in Central Florida, beginning at three feet below the surface, maintains a constant temperature of 72 degrees, water passing through pipes in the ground is heated or cooled to that temperature. “You can also tie in a hot water tank to this system, and use it to heat your water,” Egg said. The water circulation system is closed, meaning that the water never leaves the pipes, he said. “We’ve had people ask about leaks,” Egg said. “These pipes are made of high-density polyethylene, the same material that’s used for natural gas distribution lines. We use heat fusion to join the pipes. “Basically, you’re looking at a 300-year life span for this material,” he said. John Currier, manager of energy services for Tampa Electric Co., said that the utility has endorsed geothermal technology. “We think it has a lot of promise,” he said. “It’s a renewable resource because it’s a closed system coming out of the ground, and it reduces energy costs by as much as 50 percent.”
Instead of manufacturing the warm or cool air, as with conventional units, the system uses the ground to adjust the temperature, then blows the air into the home. “The only down side is the cost,” Currier said. “But it makes up for that in the low operating costs.” Ed Goggans, service manager for Lineberger Heating and Cooling Inc. in Lakeland, agreed that geothermal systems hold promise. “it sure sounds like a good system, and it wouldn’t require much maintenance,” said Goggans, whose company installs conventional heating and cooling systems. “I think we always need to look at new technology with an open mind.”
Tampa Geothermal Installation
Hathaway said he’s had no second thoughts about installing a system at his Mulberry home. I’ve known that it works, because my sister (in Highlands county) has been on a system like this for 15 years,” he said. “They’ve never had a problem. They have a really large house, and their utility bills are never more than about $90.” Hathaway expected to have the pipes installed this week, then he’ll begin construction on his addition. “I’m hoping to have the roof on the addition by the first of the year,” said Hathaway, a retired sales manager for Motorola, “if the weather cooperates.” Because of the size of Hathaway’s addition, he’s installing one air transfer unit for the existing house and a second unit for the addition. That will give him more temperature control in different parts of the house, and allow him to close off those areas that aren’t being used. The cost for the second unit, Egg said, is about $1,200. “You don’t have to install a separate unit, though,” Egg said. “You can do a zoned system with up to 20 zones per unit. But some people choose to have a second unit because it does afford greater control, and there’s less energy loss.”
Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
February 22, 2009
Geothermal (GeoExchange) Heat Pump Technology is Poised to Support Economic Recovery and Long-Term Energy goals
Geothermal Tax Credits
The stimulus package is intended to create and save 3.6 million jobs and jumpstart the economy with economic recovery tax cuts and targeted investments. In addition to putting money back in the pockets of consumers and businesses, the package also includes provisions that will help achieve long-term goals, such as improving energy efficiency in both the public and private sectors.
Among those provisions, the plan calls for a disbursement of $6.9 billion to state and local governments for energy efficiency upgrades and the reduction of carbon emissions, which amounts to an average of $100 million to each state.
By investing a portion of this $100 million in rebates or low interest loans to homeowners who replace their old fossil fuel or electric furnaces with geothermal heat pumps, the country would definitely make progress toward the goals of the stimulus package. States that have invested in similar programs were able to create hundreds of green collar jobs while significantly increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
Green Jobs. An additional state $2,000 rebate on the purchase of a geothermal heat pump – or the availability of low interest loans – could generate an additional 200 heat pump sales every month in a typical state, or 2,400 geothermal heat pump unit sales at the end of the first year. Further, every 18 heat pump installations can create one new job. By the end of the first year that means 133 new green collar jobs can be created (2,400 units divided by 18 installations per job). At $2,000 per unit, the total cost of a job creation/energy efficiency rebate program would be $4.8 million over the course of a year.
Every geothermal heat pump requires 24 hours of manufacturing labor and 32 hours of installation labor. Small businesses involved in the installation include heating and air conditioning contractors, electricians, plumbers, excavators and drilling machine operators. These businesses have the capacity and technical skills to begin installing green geothermal technology in more homes immediately.
Reduced Carbon Footprint. In addition to creating jobs, a rebate program and the ensuing installation of geothermal heat pumps would cut an average four metric tons of carbon emissions per year per unit due to the high energy efficiency of geothermal heat pump technology. This means that for the average unit life of 24.4 years, 97.6 metric tons of emissions could be eliminated over the lifetime of each unit, and 234,240 tons over the lifetime of every 2,400 units sold through a state rebate program.
A recent report published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory estimated that aggressive deployment of GHPs could achieve 35 to 40 percent of a recommended carbon reduction path for the U.S. building sector. The full report can be downloaded atornl232.geoexchange.org
If every state takes at least five percent of the funding available through the energy efficiency portion of the stimulus package and invests it in a geothermal heat pump incentive, there couldn’t be a more cost effective, greener way to put people back to work, save fossil fuel, reduce carbon emissions and save homeowners thousands of dollars per year for the next 24 years. It’s the stimulus that keeps on stimulating.
Tampa Geothermal Installation
Economic Recovery. The stimulus package funding is critical to a U.S. heating and air conditioning industry that has been hit hard by the recession. The collapse of the residential new construction market and the lack of consumer financing have slammed the industry over the past two years, and heating system sales were down to levels not seen since 1970.
Geothermal heat pumps are built by manufacturers in the United States at domestic plants in nine states, and geothermal heat pump systems are operating and saving energy in all 50 states and are being exported around the globe.
For more information contact EggComfort at http://www.eggcomfort.com or call (727)848-7545
February 22, 2009
Geothermal (GeoExchange) Heat Pump Technology is Poised to Support Economic Recovery and Long-Term Energy goals
Geothermal Tax Credits
The stimulus package is intended to create and save 3.6 million jobs and jumpstart the economy with economic recovery tax cuts and targeted investments. In addition to putting money back in the pockets of consumers and businesses, the package also includes provisions that will help achieve long-term goals, such as improving energy efficiency in both the public and private sectors.
Among those provisions, the plan calls for a disbursement of $6.9 billion to state and local governments for energy efficiency upgrades and the reduction of carbon emissions, which amounts to an average of $100 million to each state.
By investing a portion of this $100 million in rebates or low interest loans to homeowners who replace their old fossil fuel or electric furnaces with geothermal heat pumps, the country would definitely make progress toward the goals of the stimulus package. States that have invested in similar programs were able to create hundreds of green collar jobs while significantly increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
Green Jobs. An additional state $2,000 rebate on the purchase of a geothermal heat pump – or the availability of low interest loans – could generate an additional 200 heat pump sales every month in a typical state, or 2,400 geothermal heat pump unit sales at the end of the first year. Further, every 18 heat pump installations can create one new job. By the end of the first year that means 133 new green collar jobs can be created (2,400 units divided by 18 installations per job). At $2,000 per unit, the total cost of a job creation/energy efficiency rebate program would be $4.8 million over the course of a year.
Every geothermal heat pump requires 24 hours of manufacturing labor and 32 hours of installation labor. Small businesses involved in the installation include heating and air conditioning contractors, electricians, plumbers, excavators and drilling machine operators. These businesses have the capacity and technical skills to begin installing green geothermal technology in more homes immediately.
Reduced Carbon Footprint. In addition to creating jobs, a rebate program and the ensuing installation of geothermal heat pumps would cut an average four metric tons of carbon emissions per year per unit due to the high energy efficiency of geothermal heat pump technology. This means that for the average unit life of 24.4 years, 97.6 metric tons of emissions could be eliminated over the lifetime of each unit, and 234,240 tons over the lifetime of every 2,400 units sold through a state rebate program.
A recent report published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory estimated that aggressive deployment of GHPs could achieve 35 to 40 percent of a recommended carbon reduction path for the U.S. building sector. The full report can be downloaded atornl232.geoexchange.org
If every state takes at least five percent of the funding available through the energy efficiency portion of the stimulus package and invests it in a geothermal heat pump incentive, there couldn’t be a more cost effective, greener way to put people back to work, save fossil fuel, reduce carbon emissions and save homeowners thousands of dollars per year for the next 24 years. It’s the stimulus that keeps on stimulating.
Tampa Geothermal Installation
Economic Recovery. The stimulus package funding is critical to a U.S. heating and air conditioning industry that has been hit hard by the recession. The collapse of the residential new construction market and the lack of consumer financing have slammed the industry over the past two years, and heating system sales were down to levels not seen since 1970.
Geothermal heat pumps are built by manufacturers in the United States at domestic plants in nine states, and geothermal heat pump systems are operating and saving energy in all 50 states and are being exported around the globe.
For more information contact EggComfort at http://www.eggcomfort.com or call (727)848-7545
Earth loops can cut your utility bills
Earth loops can cut your utility bills by Michael Dunn
The first time I heard the term “earth loops,” I figured it was some nutty new breakfast cereal for the granola crowd. ”How about a hearty bowl of Earth Loops? Oh, sure they taste like truck tires, but they’re crunchy and nutritious, and they won’t hurt the ozone layer!” Well, it turns out I was wrong. (Although I still think they’d be good with milk.)
Actually, earth loops are components of geothermal technology, which uses the ground as a heat-exchange medium. Because the ground absorbs energy from the sun and stores it deep beneath the surface, people can tap into that stored energy and use it to heat and cool homes. Here’s how it works: A series of polyethylene pipes filled with ordinary tap water is buried deep underground. (In cold climates, antifreeze may be added to the water.) Using a specially designed heat pump, the water is circulated through the pipes, which form one long, continuous “earth loop.” In the heating mode, the liquid in the pipes is cooler than the ground. In the cooling mode, the soil is cooler than the liquid. Because heat always moves from a warm area to a cooler one, heat is exchanged between them, said Paul Fink, territory manager for WaterFurnace Southeast.
WaterFurnace introduced the first closed-loop system to South Florida in 1990, and since then the company has installed about 400 residential units, Fink said. Last month, for example, the company installed a geothermal system at baseball star Dwight Gooden’s St. Petersburg home. The system works – and is energy efficient – because underground temperatures remain constant within geographical locations, he said. In the Tampa Bay area, for instance, the underground temperature is roughly 74 degrees year-round, compared with 70 degrees in the Panhandle and colder as you go north.
Unfortunately, the up-front costs are expensive – roughly $8,700 for a 3-ton vertical heat-pump system – and that’s one of the reasons builders have shied away from it. “Builders are a little bit scared of it,” said Jay Egg, president of Egg Systems Inc., and Oldsmar company that installs the systems. “But people love it.” Fink put it more bluntly: “If a builder is progressive and concerned about energy and the environment,” he’ll try it. “Unfortunately, most builders don’t fall into that category. How can I put this subtly – they’re cheap as hell.” Palm Harbor builder Mike Connor of Schickedanz Bros. has installed two geothermal systems and said they “seem to work real well. From what we’ve seen, it looks like it offers pretty substantial savings.”
Tampa Geothermal Air Conditioning
Geothermal systems work best for heating, so they’re more popular in Northern climates, Egg said. But the system can save Floridians $40 a month on air-conditioning bills, and because it recycles warm water, a household’s water-heating costs are virtually eliminated, he said. Geothermal systems recoup their costs in five to seven years, and the specially designed heat pump lasts four to five times longer than traditional heat pumps because it is housed indoors, he said. Egg, incidentally, has introduced a new kind of geothermal system to the Bay area in which the earth loops are shaped like a Slinky. They take up less space than traditional straight-pipe geothermal systems, so they can be installed in just about any yard, he said. Those interested in learning more about earth loops can contact EggComfort.com
Geothermal System is Really Cool
The Tampa Tribune – Home Saturday, November 12, 1994
Geothermal system is really cool by Beth Dolan
Tampa – You pick up the oddest things in the strangest places. Like the fact that the temperature of the earth in Central Florida, 3 feet below the surface, is a constant 72 degrees F. Now, maybe I heard that years ago, but if I did I sure had forgotten it. But during a tour of the Brittany model on the Street of Dreams in Avila a few weeks ago, Custom Craft Homes’ Ernest Lashlee touted the house’s geothermal heating and cooling system. He said it is successful, in part, because a portion of the system is buried into the ground. Lashlee touted the comfort as well as the energy efficiency of the system. The day was warm, and inside the air was delightful.
Comfort and efficiency
“There’s nothing that even comes close to the efficiency and comfort of the system,” says Jay Egg, president of Egg Systems Inc. of Oldsmar, which distributes and installs geothermal systems. Unlike those in standard heating and cooling systems, the compressors for the geothermal units are inside the house. The closed system of pipes that transport recirculated water to cool or heat a home are buried in the yard or on the bottom of a body of water, such as the Intracoastal Waterway or Tampa Bay.
“When the temperature is 90 degrees outside and other heat pumps are struggling, or on days when regular pumps (turn) on and off, the geothermal systems provide constant comfort,” says Egg. “It’s a happy medium … low enough to help cool and high enough for heating.” The inside location of the compressor promotes longevity of the system, reduces outside noise and eliminates maintenance, except for monthly filter changes, Egg says. He’s quick to add that the unit still requires refrigerant to operate. “Without that,” he says, “the system is not efficient enough to properly heat or cool. It actually works because the recirculating water inside the system pulls heat from the ground to heat the house and returns heat to the ground from inside the house to cool it.” Egg’s systems have dehumidifiers that aid in drying houses while keeping the temperature within the constant. “They alleviate that cold and clammy feeling you get when you run standard systems, trying to remove the humidity,” he says. The geothermal heating and cooling systems, Egg says, have received government baking. “The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy endorse it as the cleanest and most energy efficient technology available in the world today for air conditioning and heating.”
Saving energy and money
According to a 1993 EPA report, “By aggressively promoting these technologies wherever they are cost effective, utilities could save 28 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and offset the need for 113 typically sized (300 megawatts) electric power plants in the year 2000. They could also reduce annual gas demand by over 825 million therms.” And utility companies aren’t the only ones that save when geothermal heating and cooling are used. “Any house is a candidate,” Egg says, “and any house that has one installed will see an immediate return on its investment by lower heating and cooling bills.” Homeowners, he says, will generally see a return on the installation cost in under five years. “Tampa Electric Co. also offers $350 rebate for anyone in their service area who replaces an existing pump with a geothermal heat pump,” he adds. Egg notes that installation of the system takes about a week and that it needn’t disrupt an already perfectly landscaped yard. “Some homeowners don’t mind having their yards ripped up to install the ‘slinky’ type of system, but for a little bit more, you can have a vertical system installed, which will look like a few rows of sprinkler pipe have been installed.”
Homeowners who live on the water can use the systems, too. “We have no problems with Swiftmud or the Army Corp of Engineers,” he says, “since we have EPA endorsements, and there’s no consequence to any waterway to have piping on its bottom.” Want to see one in action? For more information, call (727)848-7545 or visit www.EggComfort.com
Geothermal system is really cool by Beth Dolan
Tampa – You pick up the oddest things in the strangest places. Like the fact that the temperature of the earth in Central Florida, 3 feet below the surface, is a constant 72 degrees F. Now, maybe I heard that years ago, but if I did I sure had forgotten it. But during a tour of the Brittany model on the Street of Dreams in Avila a few weeks ago, Custom Craft Homes’ Ernest Lashlee touted the house’s geothermal heating and cooling system. He said it is successful, in part, because a portion of the system is buried into the ground. Lashlee touted the comfort as well as the energy efficiency of the system. The day was warm, and inside the air was delightful.
Comfort and efficiency
“There’s nothing that even comes close to the efficiency and comfort of the system,” says Jay Egg, president of Egg Systems Inc. of Oldsmar, which distributes and installs geothermal systems. Unlike those in standard heating and cooling systems, the compressors for the geothermal units are inside the house. The closed system of pipes that transport recirculated water to cool or heat a home are buried in the yard or on the bottom of a body of water, such as the Intracoastal Waterway or Tampa Bay.
“When the temperature is 90 degrees outside and other heat pumps are struggling, or on days when regular pumps (turn) on and off, the geothermal systems provide constant comfort,” says Egg. “It’s a happy medium … low enough to help cool and high enough for heating.” The inside location of the compressor promotes longevity of the system, reduces outside noise and eliminates maintenance, except for monthly filter changes, Egg says. He’s quick to add that the unit still requires refrigerant to operate. “Without that,” he says, “the system is not efficient enough to properly heat or cool. It actually works because the recirculating water inside the system pulls heat from the ground to heat the house and returns heat to the ground from inside the house to cool it.” Egg’s systems have dehumidifiers that aid in drying houses while keeping the temperature within the constant. “They alleviate that cold and clammy feeling you get when you run standard systems, trying to remove the humidity,” he says. The geothermal heating and cooling systems, Egg says, have received government baking. “The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy endorse it as the cleanest and most energy efficient technology available in the world today for air conditioning and heating.”
Saving energy and money
According to a 1993 EPA report, “By aggressively promoting these technologies wherever they are cost effective, utilities could save 28 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and offset the need for 113 typically sized (300 megawatts) electric power plants in the year 2000. They could also reduce annual gas demand by over 825 million therms.” And utility companies aren’t the only ones that save when geothermal heating and cooling are used. “Any house is a candidate,” Egg says, “and any house that has one installed will see an immediate return on its investment by lower heating and cooling bills.” Homeowners, he says, will generally see a return on the installation cost in under five years. “Tampa Electric Co. also offers $350 rebate for anyone in their service area who replaces an existing pump with a geothermal heat pump,” he adds. Egg notes that installation of the system takes about a week and that it needn’t disrupt an already perfectly landscaped yard. “Some homeowners don’t mind having their yards ripped up to install the ‘slinky’ type of system, but for a little bit more, you can have a vertical system installed, which will look like a few rows of sprinkler pipe have been installed.”
Homeowners who live on the water can use the systems, too. “We have no problems with Swiftmud or the Army Corp of Engineers,” he says, “since we have EPA endorsements, and there’s no consequence to any waterway to have piping on its bottom.” Want to see one in action? For more information, call (727)848-7545 or visit www.EggComfort.com
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