Geothermal New Construction

Geothermal—New Construction

Think of our planet surface as an enormous sponge that constantly absorbs the heat and energy from the sun. The earth stores this solar energy just below the surface, in the ground under our feet and our backyards.

Geothermal HVAC systems use this energy source to power your entire Lutherville, MD, home or business heating and cooling system. A loop—or series of pipes—carries a fluid that is used to connect the system’s heat pump to the earth and harness the energy contained within.

At Ground Loop Heating and Air Conditioning, our team specializes in the installation of WaterFurnace geothermal systems, along with traditional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. For over 30 years, our family business has proudly served homes and businesses throughout the state of Maryland!

Why Choose Geothermal for Your New Home?

In the past, geothermal systems were only available to the more expensive homes—those days are gone! Today, most of our clients roll the installation costs into their mortgage. This means you spread the high installation cost over 30 years! This makes the perfect heating and cooling system so affordable that tens of thousands of homes are being built or retrofitted to take advantage of geothermal energy.

Compared to other HVAC systems, geothermal systems don’t compromise. They save money, keep you comfortable when temperatures rise or fall, last longer, and provide a healthier home all at the same time.

Let’s look at an example!

Geothermal Savings in Maryland

Tim, 38, has a 2-year-old daughter with another on the way. Tim and his wife have been renting to save money, but with a second child on the way, they need more room. They have a set of construction drawings to build a 2,000 square-foot house but are still looking for the right lot.

They already are preapproved by the bank for a $500,000 mortgage and have several builders who gave pricing within that range. However, one of the builders gave Tim an option for something he had never heard of, called a geothermal system. After talking with Ground Loop, Tim learned a great deal about all his heating and cooling options and is now asking the builders about what type of HVAC is included in their price.

The current bid he has includes a high-efficiency single 14 SEER heat pump with an option for a propane backup system. The builder tells Tim he has $14,000 budgeted for the heat pump and an extra $5,000 for the propane backup. A geothermal system for the house is $40,000. Significantly more than a heat pump.

Tim does a little more research and finds that the 14 SEER heat pump is the bare minimum requirement in the state of Maryland. He is physically not allowed to put in a cheaper system. This seems strange since Tim was told 14 SEER is “high efficiency” (a generic term which people use to describe any system these days).

He also reads that in this climate, most people agree that heat pump systems by themselves do not pump out warm air and are not very comfortable. So, to summarize Tim’s situation, he could save money and choose the 14 SEER heat pump, or for $19,000 he could get a propane backup that will be very warm but still the lowest available efficiency.

His other option is to install a geothermal system at $40,000. But Tim also sees he is going to get back $15,000 on the geothermal in energy grants and tax credits.

This is where things get interesting!

Lower Energy Costs

Because Tim is using a local bank to do a 30-year fixed mortgage, that means the $19,000 for the heat pump, or the $40,000 for the geothermal system, will be spread out over 360 payments. From his estimated $2,500 monthly mortgage payment, $85 of it goes to pay for his heat pump. Adding the propane backup would raise the payment an additional $30 a month.

If he chooses a geothermal system, it would raise the total loan by $26,000 ($40,000 minus the $14,000 already included in the payment for the heat pump) which will raise the payment by $120 per month. At the same time, the geothermal will save him $125 per month on energy costs over the heat pump.

What does this mean?

1. Heat Pump by itself: Total Utility Cost - $350 per month

2. Heat Pump with propane backup: Total Utility Cost - $400 per month

3. Geothermal—additional $120 per month Total Utility Cost - $225 per month
(Plus an additional $14,000 back over the next year in grants and credits)

Tim realizes it will cost him less money to install the geothermal per month than even the cheapest heat pump system! Tim will save $125 on energy costs and his mortgage payment goes up to $120. It is $5 a month less expensive to install the geothermal than his heat pump. Then, on top of that, he will get an extra $14,000 back.

Significant Savings

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal systems save homeowners as much as 50 percent on their cooling costs and up to 70 percent on their heating costs when compared to conventional systems. The indoor equipment of your geothermal system is rated to last 20 to 25 years, while the loop piping will last over 100 years.

New Construction Heating and Cooling Options

When you're building a new home, you have lots of options for heating and cooling. A heat pump, an oil or gas furnace with AC, mini splits, or geothermal. All of these options have advantages and disadvantages depending on how you look at them.

Heat Pump systems have very low installation costs, but most people agree unless you run auxiliary electric heat on high they do not provide comfortable heating. Oil and gas furnaces heat very well, but the prices of fossil fuels are very volatile and change dramatically due to production levels in Russia, China, and the Middle East. These fuels are also a finite resource which means over time will become less available and more costly.

Mini splits, on the other hand, are quite comfortable and very quiet. They also require no ducting. On new construction, the downside to mini splits is they require an indoor fan head for almost every room in the house. Mini splits are recommended more for single-room additions, or lofts, where one indoor unit can supply air to a large area and work in conjunction with another source of heating and cooling.

Geothermal Systems Are Good Investments

Whether you are interested in cost savings, environmental friendliness, or comfort, geothermal systems simply make sense. Geothermal systems often pay for themselves in less than five years while also making your home more comfortable, economical, and quiet.
Whether you are in the market for a new air conditioner or furnace, you can trust our team at Ground Loop to offer the best solutions for your Darlington home or business.

Geothermal Systems Are Environmentally Friendly

Because geothermal heat pumps transfer heat rather than generating it by burning fuel, they are far more efficient and earth-friendly than other HVAC solutions. The EPA has found that properly installed geothermal energy systems produce far less environmental harm than any other existing conditioning technology.

Many geothermal heat pump manufacturers also use electronically-controlled, multi-speed motors on their duct system fans, further improving efficiency. All of these factors combine to create a heating and cooling solution that will significantly reduce your energy consumption.

Our professionals at Ground Loop will help choose the best system for your Lutherville, MD, home and business, helping to ensure you get the most value from your investment.

Geothermal Systems in Maryland

Geothermal systems often use multi-speed equipment that will regulate the output of heating and cooling, depending on the needs of your home or business. Conventional furnaces, on the other hand, typically deliver a lot of heat at once before abruptly shutting off, giving you an unpleasant up-and-down feeling.

Because geothermal units operate at variable speeds, they run longer but at lower speeds to provide a much more balanced feeling. In most instances, you might not even notice the system is running. Unlike most air-source heat pumps that rely on ambient temperatures, geothermal units traditionally produce air temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which feels warm and comfortable to the body. Because of this, air-source heat pumps are not often recommended for our Maryland climate without the aid of an auxiliary backup source.

Learn More About Geothermal Systems

Your next energy source lies just beneath the surface of our planet! Ground Loop Heating and Air Conditioning is one of the most established providers of geothermal systems in the entire country. Homes and businesses in Lutherville, MD, will save money and enjoy increased comfort with a geothermal system. Call (410) 836-1706 or request service online today to learn more about geothermal.