The Benefits of Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal heat pumps make it possible to lower heating and cooling costs up to 70%, when compared to a traditional furnace and/or air conditioner. With geothermal, volatile fossil fuel costs won’t impact you.

Geothermal heat pumps have an average life expectancy of almost 25 years, while traditional furnaces and air conditioners last approximately 13 years. The ground loop portion of a geothermal system lasts 100+ years!

Because geothermal heat pumps are kept indoors away from harsh outdoor elements and have fewer moving parts, they are lower maintenance than traditional HVAC equipment. This allows for less frequent service calls and savings on maintenance costs.

Geothermal heat pumps capture unused heat during the heating and cooling process to assist with domestic hot water supply, saving average home and building owners 25-40% on hot water costs. A part in the unit called the desuperheater performs this function and is standard in many residential Hydron Module systems. 

People are willing to pay more upfront to save money over time, seen by the fact that homes with energy-efficient features sell for as much as 8% more than expected. Realtors report homes with geothermal sell quicker than homes with traditional HVAC. This means you’ll likely recoup the costs of the geothermal system even if you don’t stay in your house for the lifetime of the system.

Geothermal heat pumps do not use fossil fuels to heat and cool, which means there’s no combustion or harmful fuels associated with the system. This removes the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning, oil and gas leaks, or fires possible with traditional HVAC systems.  

Geothermal heat pumps approach 500% efficiency. For every one unit of electricity used, the system moves up to five units of cooling or heating. In comparison, the most efficient natural gas furnace is 98% efficient. An efficiency rating less than 100% means there is energy loss, typically caused by heat escaping from the combustion process, which is required with a fossil fuel furnace.

In addition to being the most cost-effective, geothermal heat pumps are the most environmentally-friendly way to heat and cool, according to the EPA. Because geothermal heat pumps are environmentally-friendly and rely on little electricity to operate, the systems are a great fit for net-zero homes and buildings.    

Geothermal heat pumps are encouraged by local municipalities, utilities, and states offering installation rebates, tax incentives, or low interest loans for new systems. Find incentives near you at dsireusa.org and find out more about the federal tax credit for residential geothermal systems on the Financial Incentives page.

Thorough testing is something many HVAC manufacturers claim to do. We really do and stand behind that claim by offering the best standard residential geothermal warranty in the industry. To ensure we deliver the best geothermal systems, each of our units is run in the heating and cooling mode before it leaves our production facility.