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Geothermal Heating |
| The biggest benefit of GHPs is that they use 25%–50% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems.. According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy consumption—and corresponding emissions—up to 44% compared to air-source heat pumps and up to 72% compared to electric resistance heating with standard air-conditioning equipment. GHPs also improve humidity control by maintaining about 50% relative indoor humidity, making GHPs very effective in humid areas. |
| Because GHP systems have relatively few moving parts, and because those parts are sheltered inside a building, they are durable and highly reliable. The underground piping often carries warranties of 25–50 years, and the heat pumps often last 20 years or more. |
| Since they usually have no outdoor compressors, GHPs are not susceptible to vandalism. |
| The components are located within the living space and are easily accessible. |
Design |
| Geothermal heat pump systems allow for design flexibility and can be installed in both new and retrofit situations. |
| Because the hardware requires less space than that needed by conventional HVAC systems, the equipment rooms can be greatly scaled down in size, freeing space for productive use. |
| GHP systems also provide excellent "zone" space conditioning, allowing different parts of your home to be heated or cooled to different temperatures. |
| Because they have no outside condensing units like air conditioners, there's no concern about noise outside the home. A two-speed GHP system is so quiet inside a house that users do not know it is operating: there are no tell-tale blasts of cold or hot air |
