Is it finally time to consider a geothermal heating system?

We all know that geothermal heating is the most environmentally friendly, most carbon neutral and highest efficiency home heating system there is... but the big question is whether an average income household/family can afford one. That is a good question, however, the more relevant question may be whether you can afford to NOT consider geothermal heat for your home!

To start, it is important to establish the one dramatic distinction between geothermal/ground source heat pump (GSHP) and air source heat pump (ASHP). A geothermal heat pump will efficiently and effectively heat your home no matter how cold it is outside, wehreas an air source heat pump becomes less efficient the colder it gets outside, and at -25 C, it will need a backup heating system to keep the home warm. The reason for this is that a GSHP takes heat from the ground which has a constant year round temperature at 7 feet or deeper, while an ASHP takes heat from the outside air, which becomes difficult and inefficient at cold, subzero temperatures.

There are four different types of geothermal heating systems that can be used in the Temiskaming area:

1. Closed horizontal ground loop: 3/4 inch pipe loops are dug into the ground at a depth of 7 feet with an antifreeze fluid circulated through them to absorb heat from the ground. A loop usually is 600 feet in length, and a typical home may need 2-5 loops installed. A couple acres of land is needed to install the necessary footage.

   
   

2. Closed vertical ground loop: 3/4 inch pipe loops are installed into boreholes to a depth of about 300 feet. A typical home would need 2-3 boreholes drilled, which basically are 6 inch holes drilled downwards into the ground, with 3/4 inch pipe fed to the bottom and then back up with antifreeze circulated through them. The holes are backfilled with a grout product that enhances temperature exchange.

   
   

3. Closed lake loop: 3/4 inch pipe loops are laid on the bottom of a lake, anchored down with weights so they do not float up, and circulated with antifreeze. The antifreeze absorbs the heat from the water at the bottom of the lake to provide the heat source for the GSHP.

   
   

4. Open Loop: Use well water from a drilled well as the heat source. The well water from the existing home water system is cycled through the GSHP and back iinto a second well, or into a nearby body of water. This system is most efficient as all homes already have a water system, and the well water locally is 46 degrees Fahrenheit year round which provides more than enough heat.

Efficiencies of common heating systems used in Temiskaming:

Baseboard/Electric Furnace heat: 100% efficient which means for every 1kW of electricity used, it will output 1kW of heat energy back out which is 3412 BTUs.

High efficiency oil furnaces: 90% efficient, so burining 1 litre of furnace oil will produce 3301 BTUs.

High efficiency propane furnaces: 96% efficient so burning 1 cubic metre of natural gas will produce 33901 BTUs.

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP): an input of 1kW will typically produce 2.4KW of heat, or 8191 BTUs and are approximately 240% efficient.

Geothermal/Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP): an input of 1kW will typically produce 14, 675 BTUs or approximately 430% efficiency.

Average cost per year to operate:

These efficiencies, factored in with local pricing (NG @ $1.99/cubic meter; LPG @ $0.78/litre; furnace oil @ 1.67/litre; electricity at $0.12/kW at mid peak), show that an average home would spend $1,000 annually with Geothermal, $2,000 with Air source, $3,000 with NG and $4,000 with oil heating.

Scenario 1: Rural Retrofit

If a homeowner has decided to change their HVAC system and wishes to have air conditioning in the summer they have three choices:

1. Install a propane system and a separate air conditioner: Cost estimate $20,000

2. Install an air source heat pump with supplemental electric heat: Cost estimate $20,000

3. Install a geothermal system that uses existing well water: Cost estimate $28,000

The additional cost of the geothermal system is quickly returned with lower annual costs which will save the homeowner $1,000-$2,000 minimum PER YEAR and the homeowner will benefit from lower costs moving forward.

Scenario 2: Rural New Build

If a rural home builder is building a home, they will need to drill a well. If the well yields over 8 gallons per minute of water, they are a prime candidate for a ground source heat pump. Similar to scenario 1, it would cost them an additional $8,000 to install a geothermal system but they will have cost savings for decades.

Keep in mind that if you do not have a dependable well, drilling a well can cost $30,000 and that installing a horizontal ground loop will cost around $20,000 on top of the $28,000 for an open loop system.

BOTTOM LINE: if you have a dependable well yielding 8gpm or more, or are willing to drill a well, than an open loop geothermal system is definitely worth investigating!

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