FACT: Geothermal systems provide the most efficient, comfortable and environmentally friendly method of heating & cooling.
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Heat Pumps Help Orchids Grow in Cold Maine Winters
How’s this for a stress test? Heating a greenhouse enough to make tropical orchids can thrive in a Maine coastal town in the dead of winter (and do so with low utility bills).
That was the subject of an Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration NEWS article. Denis Roessiger founded New Day Farm in Penobscot, Maine, in 1993. Previously, Roessiger used inefficient furnaces that ran on fuel oil with propane backup heat.
Ever-rising fuel prices led Roessiger to call HVAC installer ELCO Geothermal, which installed a ClimateMaster ground-source heat pump system. The Tranquility 27 system was installed in two of the four greenhous
Once You Go Geothermal, You Don’t Go Back
After experiencing a year of significant energy bill savings, Roessiger called back to have his other two greenhouses installed with geothermal systems. Another Tranquility 27 heat pump system was installed to heat and cool those orchids.
But once you taste the sweet savings of geothermal heating and cooling, you’ve got to have more. That was true for Roessiger, who called his HVAC installer back a third time. This time, he wanted an underfloor heating system (also known as radiant heating). A ClimateMaster water-to-water unit was installed to keep Roessiger’s floors warm.
But the big question: how much has Roessiger saved on his monthly heating bills? From the article:
“Roessiger now experiences a 60 percent savings each year in comparison to the volume of fuel oil he burned in the past,” explained [HVAC installer Jared] True. “He can expect a complete payback within four to seven years based on today’s fuel price of $3.79/gallon. In my way of thinking, that’s an outstanding investment. Maybe now the Roessigers will have more funds on hand to buy that next greenhouse.”
If geothermal can inexpensively provide great heating in these circumstances, imagine how much money you can save on your energy bills. Better yet, use this heat pump cost calculator to see how much geothermal can save you on your utility bills.
For more information on Roessiger’s geothermal system, read the article here.
