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Frequently Asked Questions |
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How do you get heat out of
50 degree ground water? |
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How much does it cost?
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Just how efficient are
these systems? |
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How can any system be more
than 100% efficient? |
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Are geothermal systems
safe? |
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What about the
environmental impact of removing heat from the earth?
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Is a ground source heat
pump worth the extra initial cost? |
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What about efficiency? Is
more always better? |
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Do utility companies offer
rebates on ground source heat pumps? |
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Why should I buy an ECONAR
heat pump? |
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How does geothermal compare with other renewable
energy technologies?
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How do you get heat out of 50 degree ground water?
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You have a heat pump in your house right now! Your refrigerator
takes heat out of the food and releases the heat to the outside. (Feel
how warm it is behind your refrigerator.) A heat pump works in much the
same way. It removes heat from the water that is circulated through the
loop field and concentrates it before releasing it into your home. |
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How much does it cost? |
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Of course, the costs vary depending on the size and complexity of
the system you choose. Generally speaking, a geothermal system will be
more expensive than a conventional system up front, but its low
operating costs more than offset the initial expense. |
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Just how efficient are these systems?
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Here is where geo systems excel! While gas furnaces compete with
each other over 92% or 96% efficiencies, geo systems are upwards of 300%
efficiencies. That's not bragging. That is ARI certified test data. |
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How can any system be more than 100% efficient?
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Geothermal systems don't make heat: they simply move it from the
earth into your home. In essence, you are just paying for the
transportation. In fact, for every BTU of energy you use, you will get
back 3 BTU's of heat making geothermal heating 300% efficient! |
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Are geothermal systems safe? |
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They are the safest heating system you can put in your home. They
use no combustion gasses or fossil fuels of any kind nor do they produce
carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide. There is no risk of explosion since
there is no flame at all! |
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What about the environmental impact of removing heat from
the earth? |
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The EPA has called geothermal heat systems the "most
environmentally friendly system you can put in your home". They burn no
fuel and therefore, they produce no byproducts. The little heat that is
borrowed from the earth over the winter is put back in the summer making
the cycle complete. |
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Is a ground source heat pump worth the extra initial
cost? |
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Almost always, yes. Let's look at an example of a 1700 sq ft
house and compare the cost of operation of a Geosource heat pump using a
heat pump rate of $.05/Kwh with a 92% efficient LP furnace using
$1.25/gal fuel prices. Assume the heat pump costs $15,000 installed and
the furnace and A/C costs $6000 (not counting ductwork in either case).
Assume also that your electric rate is increasing by 2%/year and LP is
going up 5%/year and you finance your house for 20 years at 6% interest.
The annual cost of operation of the heat pump combined with loan costs
is $1927 ($1289 loan cost and $638 operating cost) and the annual cost
of the conventional system is $2609 ($515 loan cost and $2054 operating
cost). You save $647 your first year of operation. After 10 years, you
save $11,231: More than enough to pay back the difference in cost. The
bigger the house, the more you save. |
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What about efficiency? Is more always better?
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To a point, but when efficiency comes at the price of comfort,
ECONAR believes that is a bad trade off. That is why ECONAR pioneered
ColdClimate technology to deliver the highest heating output and highest
discharge air temperatures of any heat pump on the market. Our
ColdClimate technology allows us to design for the heat load of the
house instead of the air conditioning load like the competition. ECONAR
heat pumps are made in Minnesota, designed for heating in the cold
temperatures of the North country. |
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Do utility companies offer rebates on ground source heat
pumps? |
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Many of them do but the purchase of a ground source heat pump
should make sense without rebates. If they offer rebates, that is the
icing on the cake but the real value is in your monthly savings on your
energy bill. Contact your local utility company for their rebate
program. |
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Why should I buy an ECONAR heat pump?
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As you might guess, we can give you many reasons but we are going
to list just one: ColdClimate technology. We have the highest heating
output and temperature output of any heat pump on the market. Our heat
pumps are designed to cover the entire heating load of the house making
backup heat optional. That means that, on the coldest day of the year,
you can get the 300% plus efficiency from your heat pump instead of
relying on 92% efficient fossil fuels or resistance heating. In the
summer, our ColdClimate design will provide you with the best
dehumidification of any system on the market. |
Terra-Therm, Inc.
