1. Front-End Costs vs. Payback
There’s no avoiding it: replacing your present HVAC system with a geothermal heating and cooling system is an expensive proposition. Front-end costs here in Burlington can be anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 – or higher. Lot size, site accessibility, system configuration, ground conditions, and other matters come to bear on it. So too does the amount of excavation that has to be done and what type of ductwork modifications are necessary. And if you’re having a new home built? It’s not as pricy, usually, but it’ll still cost roughly 40 percent more than a standard-issue HVAC system will cost you.
Okay, you wanted the bad news first. Now, for the good news. To begin with, various incentives and rebates may be obtainable at the federal, state and local level to help you bear the installation costs. Then, too, the energy savings possible with your new geothermal heating and cooling system will help you begin to recoup your initial investment in no time. So you could recoup your investment in as little as four years. But , then again: Local utility rates and the end cost of your installation may slow full repayment for as long as 15 years. Since geothermal systems typically keep working for upwards of 30 or 50 years, though, you’ll still be in good financial shape. You simply have to decide sooner rather than later what your finances can tolerate … and how patient you are.
2. Geothermal Benefits Can Easily Override Any Anxieties About Starting Costs
Allow us to list the most consequential benefits:
- Compared to ordinary heating and cooling systems, geothermal heating and cooling could nick as much as 30 to 60 percent off your heating bills. And it could lower your cooling costs by as much as 20 to 50 percent.
- Geothermal systems use renewable energy – heat taken from the ground.
- Geothermal heat pumps don’t operate by combustion, so there are no greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, etc.) and no fire safety or air quality concerns.
- Given that no outdoor fans or compressors are necessary, geothermal heating and cooling systems are much quieter than ordinary systems.
- Since there are so few moving parts and geothermal systems are protected from the elements, you’re pretty much guaranteed many decades of low-maintenance, top-performance use. Indoor components may hold up for about 30 years, ground loops, about 50.
Looking for a little clarification on any of these issues in order to make a decision about your heating and cooling options? Talk with the Burlington geothermal pros at Crabbe Service. We’re glad to help, regardless of what you decide.