Geothermal contractors are available in Atlanta and Macon. I did some research on geosaves.com which is the website for Geothermal Energy Solutions, a geothermal contractor, located in Atlanta Georgia.
How does geothermal work? The system uses the average 55 degree temp of the earth to heat and cool the home. The water that the system uses is located five or more feet below the surface. It is much more efficient for a system to warm 55 degrees to 68 degrees than warming 35 degrees to 68 degrees. Also consider cooling, a traditional system has to cool the outside 100 degree air to 72 degrees where a geothermal system has an average of 55 degrees to work with. Geothermal is 50%-70% more efficient than HVAC systems. The initial price of geothermal is more than with traditional HVAC, but with the tax incentives offered, plus the monthly utility bill savings the price difference is not as large. There are one-time federal (30%) and state ($2,000 in GA) tax credits for homeowners who install geothermal systems. The EPA reports that geothermal systems have the lowest environmental impact compared to many other HVAC systems.
I really think this is worth doing not only for the environment, but for the pocketbook.
Qualitysmith.com helps me understand a little better about the cost of a geothermal system. The website talks about the average home, but doesn't say the size of the average home. I want to build a house around 1800 sq.ft. According to qualitysmith.com an average home needs three tons of heating capacity. Each ton of heating capacity costs $2500. which adds up to $7500. BUT, there is drilling involved that costs extra. The geothermal systems need wells or trenches for the piping that will access the 55 degree water. There are two types of loops to choose from, open or closed. Based on the website I'm looking at $1,000-$2,000 for the drilling and piping in addition to the $7,500. Total could be $9,500. This is in comparison to the $4,000 for a heat pump system, and we all know how well they don't work. Bottom line, if the cost of the geothermal is financed in with the mortgage over 30 years the payment would be about $30 more per month. All of this goes without taking into consideration the tax incentives and tax credits. After its all said and done the up front cost would be about the same, but the monthly power bill would be less than traditional and 50%-70% more efficient. If I do decide to use solar panels this would be even better because the efficiency of the system would aid in the efficiency of the solar panels.
