11/30/2014

GeothermaltechnologyarisingtrendontheEasternShore

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GeothermaltechnologyarisingtrendontheEasternShore
News|DelmarvaCrossroads|August17,20123:37pm

KevinColeman,ownerof
CoastalComfort,withhishome
geothermalsystem./Reed
Sheltonphoto
ByReedShelton,StaffWriter
SALISBURYOverthelastfiveyearsgeothermalheatpumpsasystemofresidentialheatingandcoolingthatreliesontransferringheateither
intooroutofthegroundhasbecomeamoreviableoptionforEasternShorehomeownerslookingtoreducetheirelectricbillsandenvironmental
impact.
Accordingtoa2010reportonGeothermalReservoirEngineeringconductedbyStanfordUniversity,thenationalinstallationrateofgeothermalheat
pumpsisrisingby1213percentannually,withmostofthegrowthtakingplaceinthemidwesternandeasternstates.Delmarva,inparticular,isvery
wellsuitedtothetechnology.
FredKundell,aprofessoratSalisburyUniversitywhospecializesinenergyandtheenvironment,ishimselftheownerofageothermalheatpump.
WearereallyblessedontheAtlanticCoastalPlainwhichDelmarvaispartofbecausewevegotsandandclaybelowus(makingwelldigging
fortheheattransferringloopsmoreaffordable),saidKundell,whoexplainedthegeothermalsystem.
AccordingtoKundell,standardairtoairsystemsthelargeunitssituatedoutsideahomeorthesmallermodelsthatfitinawindowlargelyrelyon
theoutsideairtoregulatethetemperatureinside.Whenheatingahouse,heatisextractedfromtheoutside,andelectricityisusedtocompensatefor
thedifferencebetweenthedesiredtemperatureinthehomeandtheoutsidetemperature.
Thedisadvantagetothismethodandthereasonforitsinefficiencycomparedtoageothermalsystemisthatwhenits30degreesoutsideand
attemptingtoheatthehouseto75degrees,moreelectricityisrequiredtocompensateforthatdifferenceandreachyourtargetinsidetemperature.The
equalbutoppositeproblemoccursduringthesummermonthswhencoolingahome.Thatelectricusagedirectlyimpactsthemonthlybill.
Geothermalheatpumpsinsteadrelyontherelativeconsistencyofthetemperaturedeepunderground,whichbarelyfluctuatesthroughouttheyear
stayingatabout50to57degrees.Thattemperatureprovidesamuchsmallergaptothedesiredindoortemperature,whichdrasticallyincreasesthe
efficiencyincomparisontoanairtoairunit.
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GeothermaltechnologyarisingtrendontheEasternShore

Geothermalsystemsaresurprisinglysimplisticintheirfunctioning.
Oneormorewellsaredugdeepintothegroundupto160feetdeepandaloopofPVCpipingisinsertedintothewellandburied.Theloopis
filledwithacombinationofwaterandglycoltopreventfreezingandconnectedtotheactualheatpumpunit.Whencooling,heatistransferred
fromtheinsideofthehometothewater,whichisbeingpumpedcontinuouslythroughtheundergroundloop.Alongtheway,theheatistransferred
intotheearth,andreturnstotheheatpumpatacoolertemperature.Theoutsideunitthenpumpscooledairthroughthehousesstandardductwork.
Whenheating,theunitfunctionsintheexactoppositewayheatfromthegroundistransferreduptotheunit,whichthenrequiresonlysmall
amountsofelectricitytowarmittothetemperaturesetonthethermostat.
Costversussavings
Ifthereisanythingdauntingaboutageothermalsystem,however,itisdefinitelytheinitialinstallationcoststothehomeowner.
InApril,JeffDean,aparamedicinSalisbury,decidedtogogeothermal.Afterstudyingalltheoptions,Deanchosetogowitharelativelyextravagant
systemwhichincludedfivewells,installationofallnecessaryductwork,andtwoseparateheatpumpsoneforthefirstfloor,andasecondforthe
secondfloorandattic.
Thetotalcostofinstallation:$34,000.
However,duetotaxcreditsofferedbythefederalgovernment,andrebatesfromDelmarvaPowerandthestateofMaryland,Deanwillbereceiving
approximately$11,000backattaxtime,andtheeffectonhiselectricbillwasimmediate.
(Myelectricbill)hasbeenundertwentydollarsamonthsinceIhaditinstalled,andforoneofthosemonthsitwasonly$4,Deansaid.Thecostto
metoairconditionmyhouseisbasicallythecostofrunningthefanwhichdistributesthecoldairthroughoutthehouse,andthatusesthesame
energyasalightbulb.
WillDrydenofCoastalComfortHeatingandAirsaidittakesbetweeneightand12yearsforanaveragecustomertorecoupinitialinstallationcosts.
Sometimesevenlessthanthat,Drydensaid.Itdependsonwhatyoucamefrombeforegoingtogeothermal.Iveseenaslowassevenyears.
Maintenancecostsarealsoaconcerntomany.JoeLohin,territorymanagerandsalesmanforShoreDistributors,saidthesesystemsarerelativelylow
maintenance.
Theundergroundloopshavea50yearwarranty.Theyhaveinhibitorstopreventanykindofcorrosion,sotheyreprettymuchmaintenancefree,
Lohinsaid.Andtypically,theheatpumpunithasalifespanof15to20years.Theressimplyfewerpartsandlesswearandtear(comparedtoan
airtoairunit).
Dean,onhischoicetogotogeothermalheatingandcooling,said,Iwanttoliveinmyhouseforatleast10years,andhopefully20,andthe
investmentthatIvemadeinthissystemwillrepaymemany,many,manytimesover.
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