10 Geothermal Heating Facts You Should Know

Over the last three decades, geothermal heating has slowly but surely been gaining both credibility and acceptability as a sustainable technology. That said, there is still considerable misconception about what geothermal heating is and just how much of a positive environmental impact it’s adoption could have. As this recent article from Canadian news provider Beacon News so eloquently puts it, “Geothermal heating ain’t sexy, but it is very green.”

To help turn the tides, here are a few rather incredible facts and stats that just might boost the concept’s magnetism.

1) Forty-six percent of the energy that comes from the sun is stored as heat in the top 150 meters of the Earth.

2) There are currently more than one million geothermal installations in the US.

3) According to the EPA, geothermal systems are the most cost efficient, environmentally friends and energy efficient systems available.

4) Geothermal heating offers 30-70% heat savings and 20-50% cooling savings.

5) The earth absorbs more than 500 times more energy than mankind needs annually.

6) Every 100,000 homes with geothermal heating reduces foreign oil consumption by 2.15 million barrels annually.

7) More than 95% of all geothermal consumers would recommend it to family and friends.

8) On average, geothermal systems are 48% more efficient than the best gas furnaces and 75% more efficient than oil furnaces.

9) While the strongest geothermal hotspots are found in seismically active locations, geothermal heating systems have applications in more than 50% of all land mass.

10) For residential spaces, the US government offers federal tax credits of 30% of the cost of an Energy STAR geothermal system with no upper cost cap.

With data points and returns like these, geothermal heating doesn’t have to be sexy - it just makes plain sense.
Sources:
http://geo-energy.org/reports.aspx

http://www.geoexchange.org/downloads/GB-003.pdf

http://gao.gov/products/RCED-94-84