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Today, there are many so
called “Green” products on the market but I venture to say
that no “Green” product can make as large of an
environmental impact as a Geothermal Heat Pump. The United
States gets 84% of its total energy from oil, coal and
natural gas - all of which are fossil fuels. We’ve depended
on fossil fuels to provide electricity, power industries,
heat our homes and operate our vehicles.
As a result, the planet’s
supply of fossil fuels has diminished and the effect of
their continued use on our planet grows more ominous. As our
culture and society have become more educated about the
effect of fossil fuels on our environment, we have seen a
continuous increase in Geothermal Heat Pump sales.
According to a report by Pike Research, unit shipments in
the United States are projected to see growth from just
fewer than 150,000 in 2011 to more than 326,000 units by
2017. I think it’s safe to say the days of cheap and
plentiful energy has become a luxury of the past.
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Geothermal
Heat Pumps give homeowners and companies the ability to
reduce their carbon footprint while taking advantage of the
most energy efficient heating and cooling system on the
market. What makes a Geothermal Heat Pump so efficient is
their use of the earth’s geothermal energy. The earth
actually acts like a solar collector and stores heat deep in
the ground. This stored heat, which remains a
constant 55 degrees, can then be harnessed and used to heat
and cool homes and buildings of all shapes and sizes.
A homeowner
using a Geothermal Heat Pump can expect efficiencies that
are 400 - 500% higher than those of the most efficient
traditional heating and cooling system. As a result, these
homeowners will experience long-term savings with the added
benefit of hot water.
Geothermal Heat Pumps are one of the cleanest, safest ways
to heat and cool a structure. They operate on 100 percent
electricity. This means that no carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide or other greenhouse gases will be emitted.
Greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of
geothermal heat pumps are 55 to 60 percent lower than those
from a standard air-source heat pump.
Geothermal heat pumps account for more than half of the
direct use of geothermal worldwide, followed by bathing and
swimming. While the cost and lack of consumer awareness
remains a primary obstacle to increased implementation; tax
incentives and policies that favor improved building
efficiencies have helped overcome those barriers. If it were
up to me, Geothermal Heat Pumps would be the undeniable
2013 Green Product of the Year.
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