There are signs that finally, only after lots of pushing, are people starting to pay attention to the fact that climate change is a very real problem that we're faced with. I say this because there is a new trend developing in the home energy industry; it's all about omitting a certain amount of heat into the earth with the view to getting back multiplied by a factor that is determined by the level of the equipment.
People are beginning to realise that not only does powering your house with renewable energy resources make sense environmentally, but it also looks after the finances. A geothermal system alone would in most circumstances pay for geothermal heating and cooling Arkansas for itself in under two years; thereafter the household enjoys a significant reduction in utility expenses that can really be felt.
Granted there are some negatives to having a geothermal heating system, but mainly these are felt up front. The installation can be tricky and is certainly going to be more expensive than more traditional ways of harnessing the earth's nature power. For instance, you can actually build and erect your own windmill or solar panel farm to great effect for a fraction of the cost whilst still getting the majority of the benefits. But some people don't come from windy areas or don't like eyesaws such as solar panels and white windmills anywhere on their property.
Geothermal systems at home have a certain rating attached to them. You can use this rating to basically determine what your return on energy expenditure will be. This might not be making sense but bare with me. A geothermal heating system works by injecting a small amount of power in to a heat pump and subsequently a great volume of electricity is returned. This concept is measured by COP (Coefficient of Performance) - the higher the COP rating for a geothermal system, the more efficient the system is. A COP of 2 means that for every one unit that is used to power the system, 2 units are put back into the home as heat. Higher COP systems are obviously more expensive to buy and install.
Geothermal heating systems also have a Cooling scale - the measure of the cooling scale is EER - the Energy Efficiency Rating. Again the higher the EER, the better the system.
Underground, predominantly at depths of below six feet, ground temperature stays around 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit all year round and so during winter the geothermal heating system absorbs the heat from the earth and pumps it around the home. The effectiveness of a geothermal heating system relies quite heavily on location and the climate of said location with regards to soil temperature, moisture and type. However, the deeper the geothermal system is placed, the less variation that exists.
Unlike other forms of renewable energy sources (such as wind turbines and solar panels) geothermal installations are generally quite expensive and need to be performed by third party experts. That said, in almost all cases you'd expect to make a return within two years.
