Your Homeowner’s Guide to Geothermal Cooling and Heating

Geothermal cooling and heating is an HVAC option that many homeowners haven’t considered. A few feet below the surface, the earth’s temperatures hover at a consistent 50 to 65 degrees, and a geothermal heat pump takes advantage of that. It brings that coolness into your home in the summer, and in the winter, it brings the relative warmth up out of the ground.

The energy efficiency of geothermal cooling and heating is unparalleled. The most efficient gas furnaces only have a 95 percent efficiency. In other words, they only provide 95 cents worth of heating for every dollar put into them. Geothermal systems, however, have an efficiency rate of over 400 percent. In fact, it’s estimated that they can cut your HVAC energy usage by as much as 50 to 70 percent.

An additional benefit of geothermal systems — they’re very quiet since they have few moving parts. The lack of moving parts also means there will be little to no maintenance required. You never have to worry, as you would with a gas furnace, about a gas leak. Geothermal systems are reliable, easy to manage and safe, and since these systems use renewable energy, they’re great for the environment.

Though a geothermal system can require a significant initial investment, the energy savings can certainly make up for it. Additionally, geothermal cooling and heating falls under the residential renewable energy tax credit, which can reduce the price of installation.

If you’re searching for more information on geothermal cooling and heating, please contact the team at Mast Heating & Cooling. We’re proud to have met the HVAC needs of homeowners throughout the Holland and Zeeland area for over 55 years.