Why geothermal isn't ubiquitous and how it might get that way

Re:Why geothermal isn't ubiquitous and how it might get that... by turtlebits on Thursday July 08, 2021 @05:04PM (#27777597)

For 50k+, you're probably better off improving your thermal envelope (insulation/air tightness) and going with a smaller HVAC unit.

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Re:Why geothermal isn't ubiquitous and how it might get that... by SEJeff on Thursday July 08, 2021 @05:23PM (#27777774)

It is 4 zones with (effectively) 5 floors and a lot of square footage. Anderson gave us a great deal on high efficiency triple pane argon gas filled windows and I walked the home with a wireless thermometer to check for obvious insulation problems. What else could I do to improve the thermal envelope?

I've followed much of the advice in this cleantechnica series on this exact problem: https://cleantechnica.com/2020/10/08/home-efficiency-101-app...

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Re:Why geothermal isn't ubiquitous and how it might get that... by turtlebits on Thursday July 08, 2021 @08:21PM (#27779212)

If you have enough insulation, I would recommend getting a blower door test done and see what your ACH50 is (air changes per hour at 50 pascals) to see how leaky your house is.

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Re:Why geothermal isn't ubiquitous and how it might get that... by cshepher on Thursday July 08, 2021 @05:36PM (#27777893)

Improving the envelope is particularly important for geo heating and cooling. It makes sense to include that in the budget for a geo install.

I had a geo system installed last December (GeoComfort with 3 200 foot wells for a 120 year old, 1600 sqft house).

The system works great except that the point where the aux heat kicks in for my house is 25 degrees F. I am working this year to improve the envelope to reduce the need for aux heat.

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