The system produces four times the amount of energy it requires to operate, achieving 400% efficiency ratings
My husband and I are extremely environmentally conscientious. When we built our home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, it was very important to us to focus on green alternatives. We wanted a designated area for a vegetable garden and fruit garden that we could irrigate by way of rainwater. We set up a compost area and invested into solar panels. With the amount of sunshine in Tuscaloosa, we’re able to generate more energy than we could possibly need. We still wanted to be responsible with handling heating and cooling. The local weather brings especially hot and humid summers and rather short but chilly winters. After considerable research, we chose a geothermal heat pump. While the initial investment is significantly higher, geothermal heating and cooling is rated as the most environmentally friendly option by the Environmental Protection Agency. The majority of the cost is due to an underground loop system that requires a great deal of excavation. Once the underground loop is in place, it is warrantied for fifty years and should last twice that long. Because the heat pump is installed inside the house and protected from the elements, we can expect it to provide upwards of twenty years of operation. The system works by drawing free and sustainable heat energy out of the ground and pumping into the home. In cooling mode, it reverses the operation to run much like a conventional air conditioner. The system produces four times the amount of energy it requires to operate, achieving 400% efficiency ratings. The solar panels are sufficient to run the geothermal heat pump. We pay no heating or cooling bills.