Geothermal can save you big bucks

If someone could tell you how to build a home with practically no more money than a conventional heating and cooling system, and you'd have no heating or cooling bills, would you do it? If they could then tell you how to eliminate your electric bills also and end up with a "net zero" home, would you do it?

STAFF PHOTO BY JOE SARNO

Located on Route 23 in Pequannock, Solar & More has definite ideas on how to curb your energy costs.

One would hope so, because this is all possible now, and you really don't have any out of pocket costs because it's part of the cost of the house.

A geothermal heating and cooling system works off the constant 54 degree temperature of the earth.

With heat pumps that take heat out of the house in the summer and bring it into the house in the winter, you have an air distribution system that is the most comfortable of any heating or cooling system there is. If dry heat bothers you with asthma, bronchitis or allergies, geothermal will reduce those symptoms and you'll be much more comfortable.

So here's how it can work. Contracting for a geothermal system with Solar & More will give you the opportunity to save 30% on your system and your home's insulation and ductwork. How do we do this? Solar & More will design and include the home's air handling and ductwork into the geothermal system. We then provide the spray-in foam insulation as part of the geothermal system also. This does two things; it increases the insulation from the home's "envelope" (the insulated living area of the house) and reduces the size of the geothermal system because of this extra insulation. Spray in insulation is much more efficient than standard mat insulations provided with most homes.

What's all this mean? Basically, you get a geothermal system for the same amount as a traditional heating and cooling system. And, you get a much tighter home with fewer drafts and the most comfortable heat and cooling system you can buy!

So now you've finished building the house and you're in. What happens next?

You've reduced your heating and cooling bills by up to 70%! You also cover about 70% of your domestic hot water bills with this geothermal system as we install a "desuperheater" that transfers heat from the heat pumps to a hot water heater. What could be better!

Tell your architect to be sure he considers a geothermal system. If he doesn't, we've got an architect who will design this for you and it won't cost you any more than a traditional design. If he's really good, he'll also give you a south facing roof for some solar panels. This could eliminate the remaining portion of your electric bill to give you that "net zero" home…no electric, no heating and no cooling costs…for the life of your home. That's energy efficiency!

Tom Ferraro owns Solar & More, a retail showroom in Pompton Plains, NJ where you can go to see and learn about solar, geothermal and other renewable energy systems. For more information, see their website at http://www.solarnmorestore.com, or call 800-782-0241.

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Geothermal can save you big bucks