GEOTHERMAL
Geothermal Case Study:
A Look at typical Homeowner Savings when installing Geothermal
| Who: | Brad & Tammy M., Homeowners |
| What: | An existing 1965 Ranch Style House, 2,000 Sq Ft. 4 Bedroom - 3 Bath |
| Where: | Ft. Thomas, KY |
| Why: | Existing Equipment included: 92% efficiency rated 100,000 BTU Furnace, 3TN, 9 SEER A/C Typical Annual Cost to operate: $2,799 |
| When: | Job was completed in early January 2009 |
Before photo: Existing York Gas Furnace
Before Photo: Existing back yard
The Scenario:
Brad & Tammy M. decided to upgrade their newly purchased home and install Geothermal. They began the process by looking into the typical savings for their home and energy bills, and this is what they found;
Their annual bills for heating, cooling, and hot water came to $2799.00, and by installing an Envision WaterFurnace Geothermal electric system with desuperheater; they could save over half their operating cost, a total of $1166.00 annually. This is less than $100 a month in utilities, a sound investment and therefore a positive cash flow.
Brad states, "My decision to purchase a geothermal system became more of an investment decision than HVAC. With the market fluctuating like it has been, I believe it was the best investment I could have made with my money. I was able to capitalize on the 30% no cap tax credit, as well as reducing my utility costs; and when you compound those savings over the next 24 years (the average lifespan of a geothermal system) the savings was substantial. One of the benefits that has surprised us the most is how much more comfortable we are now with the geothermal 2-stage compressor over my conventional gas furnace, along with no more noisy outdoor unit."
"Another benefit is that most people don't like when their system is running; we are actually pleased due to the low cost of operation with utilities and the fact that when it's running it is helping to make free hot water. We just wish we would have done this at our other house before moving since it definitely would have been a selling feature!"
The Solution:
They decided to go with the Waterfurnace Envision Series and scheduled a date with the installation team. They began the drilling & installation process, as documented in the following photos.
Drilling the 6" diameter vertical bore holes, inserting pipe.
Trenching the loop field into the foundation of the house.
Rough back-filling after pipes are installed.
Back yard is graded, outside is complete.
Inside installation begins: removal of old materials and inserting new geo unit, hot water heater, and duct work modification.
Water is filled into loops, flushed, and checked for proper operation, electrical work is complete, and job is finished.
Testimonials
Dear Arronco, We are really pleased with the installation of our system. The installers really worked hard, and your Company should be proud of their work ethics and craftsmanship. I know our job was a challenge for them to say the least! We are looking forward to using our new system, both for the air conditioning and the heating. The few times I have turned on the heat, I have not been bothered by any smell of propane. If there is any odor, my 'asthma' sense of smell will detect it.
Jeremy Z.
Dear Arronco,
This is a note of thanks to you and your Arronco team. We are quite pleased with all phases of the purchase, removal of the old equipment and the installation of the new equipment. We talked to four companies about replacing our Furnace, AC, Air Cleaner and Humidifier . You answered all our questions (which were many) and you covered every detail of what needed to be done.
R. Wilson
Dear Arronco,
Thank you so much for installing my geothermal Water Furnace. You did a great job on installation, and your service men are courteous and clean up any mess they make. I really appreciate that.
And I have to tell you, I previously had propane heat. Since you installed my Water Furnace fall 2008, it is the first time I have actually been warm in this house. Not only is it saving me 50% or more of heating costs, but I can keep the temperature high enough to be comfortable. I'm very pleased with the purchase.
Thanks again,
Jenny H.
Dear Arronco,
I wanted to get back to you and share our experience with the system you all put in. I have six months of data now including cold weather and I can tell you the savings in energy use (electric kwh) for heating/cooling is running at 65%. This is corrected for degree days and days in billing cycle. I have also adjusted for kwh usage for lighting, appliances, etc- they account for about 700 kwh/mo and I subtract that before calculation so as to get the true effect on heating. You may recall I am an engineer, so I am confident in the data and my analysis.
Actually, I am sure the hot water heating supplement from the geothermal also reduces the non-heating portion of usage, so that is a bonus to the 65%. I use usage instead of the bill in $ because the cost of electricity is constantly changing with delivery costs, seasonal adjustments, fuel surharges etc.
Finally, the comfort level is greatly improved even at a lower temp setting. We are set at 70 and we feel no discomfort - if wanted to pinch a little, I am sure 68 would work. The heat is more uniform and we never have to adjust; I keep a standalone indoor/outdoor thermometer and it verifies the readings. We don't make any changes day or night- just keep it constant based on your advice... All in all, a good investment!
Bill K.
