More information about hot springs can be found at the website of the National Park Service.
Table information: Allied Consulting
Would you like to have a heating and cooling system in your home or business
that can:
• Save energy
• Slash utility bills
• Drastically reduce hot water costs
• Cut greenhouse gas emissions
• Rid your yard of unsightly equipment and
• Reduce annual maintenance costs
…all while providing you year round comfort?
Geothermal systems are a cost effective, energy efficient and environmentally friendly way of heating and cooling buildings. Both the Department of Energy
(DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have endorsed the technology. Geothermal systems deliver reliable quality air-conditioning and heating, on demand, in every season.
In a 1993 report, the EPA concluded that geothermal technologies represent a major opportunity for reducing national energy use and pollution, while delivering comfort, reliability and savings to homeowners.
Geothermal systems are electrically powered systems that tap the stored energy of the greatest solar collector in existence: the Earth. These systems use the earth's relatively constant temperature to provide heating, cooling, and hot water for homes and commercial buildings.
While many parts of the country experience seasonal temperature extremes - from scorching heat in the summer to sub-zero cold in the winter - a few feet below the earth's surface the ground remains at a relatively constant temperature. Depending on latitude, ground temperatures range from 45°F (7°C) to 75°F (21°C). Like a cave, this ground temperature is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler than the air in the summer. A geothermal heat pump takes advantage of this by exchanging heat with the earth through a ground heat exchanger. As with any heat pump, geothermal and water-source heat pumps are able to heat, cool, and, if so equipped, supply the house with hot water. Some models of geothermal systems are available with two-speed compressors and variable fans for more comfort and energy savings. Relative to air-source heat pumps, they are quieter, last longer, need little maintenance, and do not depend on the temperature of the outside air.
Geothermal equipment is also compact and, except for the loop piping buried in the ground, is located inside, tucked neatly in basement, attic, closet, or crawl space.
Geothermal systems are appropriate for new construction as well as retrofits of older buildings. Their flexible design requirements make them a good choice for either residential or commercial structures. Geothermal systems can be installed on almost any size lot: under lawns, landscaped areas, driveways, or the structure itself.
Saving Money.
Rebates or incentives are available to customers who install a geothermal system. To see what federal, state and utility offers are available to you click here. Installing a geothermal system will cost more than installing a traditional furnace and air conditioning system. However, the savings on heating and cooling bills will allow the system to repay itself within 4 to 5 years. And from that moment on it is money in your pocket.
• Heat your home for a little as $1.00 a day. EPA has confirmed geothermal
systems operate at 75% greater efficiency than oil furnaces, 48% greater
efficiency than gas furnaces and 40% greater efficiency than air source heat
pumps.
• FREE hot water. In the summer your hot water is heated by the excess heat
extracted from your home from the cooling cycle providing virtually free hot
water.
• Save you up to 50% on your water-heating bill by preheating tank water.
• Save 20 to 50% on energy consumption.
• Reduce maintenance costs. Properly installed geothermal systems rarely need
service. The underground loop piping that carries heat to and from the earth is
made of high density polyethylene, typically guaranteed for 25 years and
expected to last 50 years or longer. (It's the same material used for cross-
country natural gas lines.)
• Ground heat exchanger is maintenance free and will last 40+ years.
• Greater freedoms in building design due to 50-80% less mechanical room space.
• Eliminate boiler and chiller maintenance costs.
Saving the Environment.
• By choosing ENERGY STAR qualified geothermal systems and taking steps to
optimize the performance of your heating and cooling equipment, you are helping
to prevent global warming and promoting cleaner air.
• Substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to the elimination of fossil
fuel burning.
• Conserve natural resources.
• Minimize ozone layer destruction by using factory-sealed refrigeration systems,
which will seldom or never have to be recharged.
• Use underground loops to transfer heat, with no external venting and no air
pollution.
Reducing Noise.
• Very quiet, providing a pleasant environment inside & outside the home.
• There are no outside compressors or fans.
• The indoor portion of the system operates as quietly as a refrigerator.
Piece of Mind.
• No open flame, flammable fuel or potentially dangerous fuel storage tanks are
needed.
• Mechanical components are either buried in the ground or located inside the
home. No exposed equipment outdoors; children or pets cannot injure themselves
or damage exterior units.
• A geothermal system can be a combination heating/cooling and hot water heating
system.
ENERGY STAR geothermal systems use about 40-60 percent less energy than a standard heat pump and 20 to 40% less than available air conditioners.
The air is kept warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer and at a more consistent temperature throughout the home, eliminating the hot and cold spots common with other systems.
Fact Sheets.The following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs.
Download Adobe Reader.
• Heat Pump Overview (PDF 115 KB)
• Geothermal Heat Pumps Make Sense for Homeowners (PDF 115 KB)
• Geothermal Heat Pumps for Medium and Large Buildings (PDF 312 KB)
• Environmental & Energy Benefits of Geothermal Heat Pumps (PDF 318 KB)
• GeoExchange Heating & Cooling Systems: Fascinating Facts (PDF 90 KB)
New Hampshire
New Home Construction Program
The New Hampshire Electric Cooperative is offering a residential new construction program that offers up to $0.50 per square foot of heated living space (up to $1,250 per home) for homes that choose geothermal heat pumps for their primary heating system, and up to $500 in incentives toward the cost of an Energy Star® home certification, regardless of what type of fuel is used to heat the home.
Program participation requirements include:
• Program will apply to new home construction only.
• The new home must be in the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative service
territory.
• The home design must meet approved specifications.
For more information, please click here.
PSNH Energy Star® Homes Program
Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) promotes the Energy Star® Homes Program, which provides incentives for first-time builders, and for the installation of energy efficient equipment. The program promotes the use of geothermal heat pumps and offers additional incentives for installation.
Connecticut
Single-Family Energy Conservation Loan Program
The Connecticut Housing Investment Fund (CHIF) offers single-family energy conservation loans from $400 to $10,000 to owners of 1-4 unit family homes who meet established income limits for family size and location. These loans may be used for a variety of conservation improvements, including geothermal heat pump installations.
• Interest rates (currently 1%, 3% and 6%) vary in accordance with the
borrower's family size and income.
• Loan repayment period may be up to 10 years.
Multi-Family Energy Conservation Loan Program
The Connecticut Housing Investment Fund (CHIF) offers multi-family energy conservation loans from $2,000/unit to $60,000/building to owners of 5+ unit family homes who meet established income limits for family size and location. These loans may be used for a variety of conservation improvements including geothermal heat pump installations.
• Interest rates (currently 3% and 6%) vary in accordance with the income of the
tenants living in the building.
• Loan repayment period may be up to 10 years.For more information, contact the
Connecticut Housing Investment Fund by calling (860) 233-5165 or click here.
Massachusetts
Sales Tax Exemption
This statute exempts from the state sales tax geothermal heat pump systems. This exemption is limited to systems which will be used in an individual's principal
residence and the exemption is not available to commercial users. The current sales tax rate in Massachusetts is 5%.
