Investing in Geothermal Air Conditioning and Heating

Average: Select ratingPoorOkayGoodGreatAwesome

Your rating: None Average: 5 (18 votes)

More Green Expert Tips and Opinions

• Cut Costs and Go Green with Utility Energy Efficiency Loans
• How YOU Can Go Green with SIM Only Deals
• How Does It Work? Energy-efficient Lightbulbs
• 10 Ways to Beat the Heat
• More than 160 Michigan Scientists Tell Congress: Let EPA do its Job, Stop Attacks

There has never been a better time to invest in Geothermal Air Conditioning and Heating. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has lifted the caps on Tax Credits to Qualified Geothermal Air Conditioners, previously limited to $2000. Only Geothermal HVAC Technology qualifies for these unprecedented Tax Credits.

This is the way it works: Outdoor temperatures fluctuate with the changing seasons but underground temperatures don’t. Four to six feet below the earth’s surface, temperatures remain relatively constant year-round. A geothermal system, which typically consists of an indoor unit and a water well or a buried earth loop, capitalizes on these constant temperatures to provide “free” energy. In the Summer, heat from the building is carried from the home, and deposited into the cooler earth. In the Winter, the process reverses, and the heat stored in the Earth is carried indoors. The indoor unit compresses the heat to a higher temperature and distributes it throughout the building.

Geothermal Air Conditioning works anywhere the you can either drill for water, or put in closed loop piping. This website gives a good idea of what your underground temperature is. Anything above freezing, or below 90 degrees is worth the investment.

When it's possible, and especially when we have limited land, we recommend pump and reinject technology.

The Federal Incentives resulting from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provide for a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of installation of the Geothermal Air Conditioning and Heating Systems. There are state and local incentives that are impressive as well. Commercial Geothermal incentives come in the form of Federal Tax Credits and Accelerated MACR Depreciation, resulting in impressive incentives.

In about 1990, I thought that I had discovered geothermal, or ground water cooled air conditioning. As it turned out, It had been around for quite some time, and Oklahoma State University under the direction of James Bose had done extensive work in the design. I traveled there and was certified as a designer. It became the focus of Egg Systems. In about 1995, we began to expand our focus to other HVAC technologies. But we never stopped doing Geothermal Air Conditioning. In March of 2009, as a result of the Federal Stimulus Package, we began to focus once again on this technology. Egg Geothermal Air Conditioning and Heating sales have increased as a result.