"My personal interest in geothermal heating and cooling began in 2000 when I was remodeling our home.
Natural gas is not available where we live, which left us to consider heating our home with either electric or fuel oil. Concerned about the cost of these options, I began to search for another alternative energy source. I learned about geothermal heating and cooling through one of my customers who had installed it in his home. I began to do my research and discovered there are not many HVAC contractors in our area who offer this service. However, we were able to find a few.
The overall cost of installing the complete system in our home back in 2002 was more expensive than a traditional furnace powered by electric or fuel oil; but the benefits our geothermal system would provide outweighed the additional expense. By using geothermal heating and cooling, we were able to apply for and use the "all-electric" rate from our local power company. To date, our highest electric bill has not been more than $165 for the entire house and we do not have the additional expense for natural gas or heating oil.
We also have whole-house air conditioning for the summer which makes the "dog days of summer" seem like a memory! I truly believe the system will pay for itself within 5 years. With the rising cost of electricity and fuel oil, my wife and I are glad we chose geothermal. As our country seeks to become less dependent on foreign resources, the government is proposing tax breaks and incentives for alternative energy sources such as geothermal heating and cooling.
I drilled the loops for our system and had a HVAC contractor install the unit and ductwork. I discovered there are not any contractors in this area that do it all-the loops, installation of the ductwork and unit. Based on our positive experience, I felt this was an option that needed to be available to residents in our area who may find themselves in the same situation as us--looking for a better way to heat and cool their homes.
"By offering geothermal installation, as well as being a water well drilling contractor,
we can provide solutions to all of your water needs."
Elmer T. Stewart, Manager of Stewart Drilling, LLC