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Geothermal heat
Last Post 29 Jul 2007 11:12 AM by megatek. 25 Replies.
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bscketbru
New Member
Posts:2
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07 May 2007 03:37 PM |
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Jeff, I'm looking too and I live in Niantic. I'm building a workshop and thinking of a post and beam building on a radiant concrete slab with a sips envelope. I'm trying to find someone in the area who has worked with sips and post and beam as well as a geothermal firm. We might put in one closed loop field and see if there is a way to heat both our house and the workshop. The house is about 24 by 36 and is an old barn itself; heatload and cooling load between the two buildings will be very different.
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jim
New Member
Posts:58
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12 Jun 2007 03:38 PM |
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1. I think so. The I would estimate the 'incremental' cost of geothermal over a gas heat / AC combo as being around $10k. The difference in utilities is probably around $100 per month. That is a 7 year plus payback, but consider the other benefits: - First, the synergy 3 geo pump has been making our hot water unaided by any other heat source - and we've been happy with the output. This probably saves $200 to $300 per year. - Second, the synergy 3 supports the radiant heat (through the potable hot water tank) w/o a boiler, saving at least $1000 in equipment and allowing us to run clean water through the tubes (better in the event of a puncture). - Third, we have a single piece of hardware housed in the basement - it should last 20+ years. This is much longer that the service life of a furnace with a heat exchanger bather in combustion gas or an AC compressor. - Third, we don't have a noisy AC compressor in the back yard to ruin a quiet summer evening. - Fourth, we have no carbon monoxide risk. - Fifth, if we wanted a backup generator (and we don't), a smaller generator unit could heat and cool the house indefinitely.
2. I think the question about a qualified contractor was addressed.
Jim
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Kevin_in_Denver
New Member
Posts:28
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14 Jun 2007 06:58 PM |
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Jim,
Your numbers seem pretty reasonable, but I'd add about $6k to make sure you have enough to get the pipe in the ground. Also, in my analyses of very low energy homes for sunny, cold, dry cllimates, I can't justify that extra $16k. Instead of averaging $100/mo. savings, I'm only spending $70/mo. to heat the house for 4 months. If geothermal took that down to $30/month, then I don't think the geo equipment has paid for itself before it needs replacing.
We have the real advantage here of not really needing compression cycle A/C. Most consumers still believe they need it, but a unit like Coolerado can do the job with evaporation cycle cooling even on the hottest days. So I wouldn't have any summer savings, except for the domestic hot water.
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Passive Solar House, built 2004, ongoing solar thermal experiments |
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jim
New Member
Posts:58
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15 Jun 2007 03:18 PM |
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The $10k included the wells. The wells were about $4500, and the pump was about $7k. A 90% furnace & AC is atleast $2500, so the geo system is about $10k more.
Also, the total HVAC bill was $42k, which included wells, pump, ducting, warmboard, radiant system w/manifolds. Going with a furnace & AC would have saved about 25%. Evaporative cooling works great - in colorado. I've stayed at a friends house in Denver with a swamp cooler, and it was very comfortable. As you know, they don't work where it's persistently humid. Welcome to Ohio.
If you do live in a climate where you need compression cycle AC and a furnace, I think the value of the geo system comes out in several ways beyond just a lower monthly bill - for example, longer equipment life, combustion-free environment, reduced noise and heat exhaust.
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Kevin_in_Denver
New Member
Posts:28
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18 Jun 2007 10:17 AM |
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I'm convinced. Now the production builders and semi-custom builders need to be convinced. I think that consumer demand is what convinces those builders. Unfortunately, the topic is a little too complicated for the average consumer to get a handle on.
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Passive Solar House, built 2004, ongoing solar thermal experiments |
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megatek
New Member
Posts:15
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29 Jul 2007 11:12 AM |
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Kevin-in-Denver - My company is working on a retirement project in good-old grand junction, CO. It is slow to get the builders on board, but they are coming. If you get a high bid on geo, dont be discouraged. Ask for a payback analysis, and visit our website to see if there are multiple contractors that will give you bids. |
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John Herbert<br> Sales Engineer<br>www.hydroheat.com |
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