Learn more about how your home can be extremely energy efficient
What with energy costs resembling a roller coaster in recent years, it’s understandable that you are seeking a way to get them under control in the new home you are planning to build.
NOCO has a way to do that so your home is energy efficient and comfortable now and for decades to come. We install geothermal heat pump home heating and cooling systems.
Installing a geothermal system as you build your home is incredibly cost-effective. You can install it as part of the construction process, making it easier and less expensive to do than retrofitting in your home. In fact, installing geothermal now is close in price to installing gas-, propane-, or oil-fired heating systems along with central air conditioning.
How does geothermal work?
Geothermal systems, also referred to as ground-source heat pumps, rely on fluid loops buried beneath the surface of the earth to exchange thermal energy with the surrounding soil. Even at a shallow depth, just a few feet below the surface lies an environment where temperatures remain relatively consistent year-round, enabling you to draw warmth into your home in winter and dissipate excess heat during summer months.
To warm or cool your home, the indoor ductwork channels and circulates the air. This system is similar to conventional systems; however, one of its parts -the box with an air handler- stands out due to it transporting house air via a heat pump for temperature regulation purposes.
What are the advantages of geothermal?
Installing geothermal offers many advantages to your Western New York home. Here are some of them.
Energy efficiency. Geothermal systems use up to 50% less electricity than traditional cooling or heating systems. This means that geothermal systems can move three units of heat from the earth using only one unit of electricity!
Money in your pocket. Geothermal’s outstanding energy efficiency will cut your home’s heating and cooling energy costs, which usually account for about half of your home’s energy expenses. Also, you will be eligible for tax credits. Currently, if you install an Energy Star® -rated geothermal heat pump system, you’ll get a 30% tax credit.
Improved comfort. Not only do you get all-in-one heating and cooling with your geothermal system, but you also get humidity control. Geothermal systems maintain about 50% indoor air humidity.
Energy independence. By generating much of your heating and cooling energy from your ground-source geothermal system, you are helping to reduce dependence on electrical utilities and their infrastruction.
Longevity. With a 50-year life expectancy for the closed loop components and indoor components lasting up to 25 years, your investment is not only environmentally friendly but practical as well.
How to learn the efficiency of geothermal heat pumps
According to the United States Department of Energy, you can determine how the heating and cooling efficiency geothermal heat pumps this way:
Measuring the effectiveness of ground-source and water-source heat pumps is done by their coefficient of performance (COP) – a ratio that informs us about how many British Thermal Units (BTUs) are produced for each BTU unit of energy input. The Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) is the metric used to measure how efficiently they provide cooling, which expresses its efficiency as the ratio of heat removed (in BTUs per hour) to electricity consumed (in watts).
NOCO is here to help you every step of the way with installing geothermal in your Western New York home. Contact us today to get started.
