Geothermal Comfort System vs. Traditional Heating and Cooling

The largest draw to a Geothermal system compared to any traditional heating and cooling system is that you can look to save 55 - 65% on your heating and cooling costs each month. This savings, when mulitplied over 12 months will add up to a significant yearly savings. Now, you will take this yearly savings and pay off the difference between a geothermal comfort system and any traditional system.  

Lets Actually crunch the numbers one time and see exactly why a geothermal system is truely the least expensive system to own. The first thing we will do is start with a basic geothermal system figure, we will then deduct your government rebates. This will give us an after tax cost for your geothermal system. Next we will subtract the cost of a traditional heating and cooling system, this will tell us how much more you can expect to pay for geothermal. Finally we will estimate a utility bill and come up with a yearly savings, this will allow us to see how many years it will take the your system to completely pay for itself in entirety. Then after that point it is all cash in hand savings! 

Let's say that before taxes your system is valued at:  $20,000

Now we can deduct your tax credits:                     -   $6,000      (Federal Tax Rebate) 

                                                                         -    $3,000      (Check from State of Maryland)      

                                                                         -    $2,000      (County Rebate)

                                                                          -   $400         (Utility Rebate)          

Final After Tax Amount:                                            $8,600

                                                                                                             $8,600

Now lets look at how much you could pay for a traditional hvac system:    -  $5,500

Additional cost for a Geothermal Comfort System                                      $3,100

As you can see, once we take in to acount all tax credits the cost of a Geothermal Comfort System can be only slightly more than a traditional system. Finally, we take into account the 60% savings on heating and cooling costs:

Let's say a home of this size will have an average electric bill of:

                                                                               $250/mon.                                                  

Since hvac costs typically account for 65 - 75% of a utility bill you could see an average:

                                                                                $1,350/yr       (In Savings)

It is this $1,350/yr in savings that will allow you to pay off the $3,100 difference in just under 3 years! This means that you're Geothermal system could completely pay for itself in just under 3 years. After three you can put that $1,350 directly in your back pocket and begin to truely reap the benifits of you're Geothermal system. Also, this savings does not take into account the life expectancy of the units, which is over 24 years compared to any traditional unit that is rated for 10 -13 years. That means 10 years from now when you're neighbor is replacing his AC your geothermal will be running strong for another 10 + years. Combining all of these factors together makes the switch to geothermal heating and air conditioning a smart decision, because as you can see you're geothermal system is without doubt the least expensive way to heat and cool you're home, and that traditional heating and cooling methods do not even compare to your Geothermal Comfort System.

The calculations above are not of an actual customer, but they are very resonible. All homes varry in electric usage, size of system required, and amount of annual savings. Even though we can not garrentee any specific amount of savings, a 60% decrease is a very achievable number. Also any tax rebates are specific to your individual system. It is recomended that any potential customer recieve an energy audit to evaluate how "energy friendly" your home is, because no matter what type of system is installed the best and most cost effective way to save energy is to keep your home tight, and well insulated.

The best way to evaluate your specific situation to is to contact a member of the Ground Loop team, and we can "crunch the numbers" just as we have done above. For other specific calculations of savings please see and compare the different geothermal savingscalulators. These allow you to pick your residential area, type of heat/air conditioning you currently use, and how many residents live in your home. They then show you the amount you would be saving by making the switch! Water Furnace Calculator, Home Energy Suite Calculator

Operating Costs

We all know not only is geothermal heating and air conditioning better for the environment, but it also saves you a lot of money on your energy bill. You can take a look at Water Furnaces' Envision equipment here which we recommend since it has the highest efficiency rating of ANY geothermal unit. The operating costs are also the least expensive of any heating and cooling method. First and foremost your geothermal system also replaces the need for any oil, propane, or natural gas. The next area of savings comes from the longevity of your filters. A traditional system recommends replacement of filters once a month a geothermal system is typically replaced once a year.

Once you take a good look at geothermal it becomes clear; that whether you look at the first few years, or the next 25 geothermal is without doubt the least expensive way to heat and cool your home. Not to mention you are doing your part help the enviroment.