Geothermal Home Heat—is it for you?
Your Watershed Alliance is well aware that air pollution can cause water pollution. Therefore, we favor energy consumption that diminishes power plant use. Among the most efficient and environmentally safe energy choices is geothermal heating and cooling. Generally, there are four basic kinds of geothermal heat systems: recharge well, horizontal soil, vertical soil, and pond/lake. Each of these has possible variations depending on individual situations.
Accessing geothermal heat depends on a constant temperature source. For example, well water varies with a mean temperature of about 50 degrees. Water can be moved from a well to pass through a heat pump, which extracts a few degrees of heat from each gallon, then accumulates enough heat to keep a house at 70 degrees. The reverse process--taking hot air from the house and cooling it with well water--is air conditioning.
The land around a house can also be used. In horizontal mode, trenches 4-6 feet deep are dug to accommodate as many yards of geothermal pipe as necessary. A special liquid is pumped through them. The liquid is warmed by moving through ground heat and travels to the heat pump and thus heats the home. Again the reverse operation is air conditioning. If the surface area is constrained, vertical mode is used. Deep holes in a small area are dug and a similar length of pipe is installed. The method of heating and air conditioning is the same.
If a house is near a pond or lake of adequate size, loops of geothermal pipe can be placed on the bottom. Amazingly, if a pond is deep enough, a house can be warmed using the heat from water under a foot of ice.
Obviously the geothermal installation is more expensive by a factor of two or three times over conventional HVAC. However, geothermal requires no additional energy input beyond the electricity necessary to run the heat pump. There is no combustion. No need for gas or propane or fuel oil. No pollution and no heat up the chimney. Some homeowners have recouped their investment in as little as ten years. Then the system saves money every month. Also, geothermal equipment is very long lasting. Since it is so simple, any replacement usually comes after twenty to twenty-five years. Finally, there is no noisy outdoor A/C unit to maintain.
There are geothermal system providers in this area who will give homeowners an estimate of feasibility and installation cost. This is the website( installers in Pennsylvania who have been accredited for geothermal projects. Several are located in and near Adams County.
Since these systems are both highly efficient and environmentally friendly, there is plenty of help with initial expense. Internal Revenue form number 5695 at explains the requirements for getting 30% tax credits. Locally, Adams Electric Cooperative offers a loan program for geothermal installations (
Those who have the physical situation and financial means to go geothermal benefit themselves and all of us.
R. B. Lasco is a board member of The Watershed Alliance of Adams County (