Benefits of a Geothermal Heat Pump system

Free or Reduced-Cost Hot Water

Unlike any other heating and cooling system, a geothermal heat pump can provide free hot water. A device called a "desuperheater" transfers excess heat from the heat pump’s compressor to the hot water tank. In the summer, hot water is provided free; in the winter, water heating costs are cut roughly in half.

Year-Round Comfort

While producing lower heating bills, geothermal heat pumps are quieter than conventional systems and improve humidity control. These features help explain why customer surveys regularly show high levels of user satisfaction, usually well over 90 percent.

Design Features

Geothermal heat pump systems allow for design flexibility and can be installed in both new and retrofit situations. Because the hardware requires less space than that needed by conventional HVAC systems, the equipment rooms can be greatly scaled down in size, freeing space for productive use.

And, geothermal heat pump systems usually use the existing ductwork in the building and provide simultaneous heating and cooling without the need for a four-pipe system.

Improved Aesthetics

Architects and building owners like the design flexibility offered by GHPs. Historic buildings like the Oklahoma State Capital and some Williamsburg structures use GHPs because they are easy to use in retrofit situations and easy to conceal, as they don't require cooling towers.

GHP systems eliminate conventional rooftop equipment, allowing for more aesthetically pleasing architectural designs and roof lines.

The lack of roof top penetrations also means less potential for leaks and on-going maintenance, and better roof warranties. In addition, the above-ground components of a GHP system are inside the building, sheltering the equipment both from weather-related damage and potential vandalism.

Low Environmental Impact

Because a GHP system is so efficient, it uses a lot less energy to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. This means that less energy—often created from burning fossil fuels—is needed to operate a GHP.

According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy consumption— and corresponding emissions—up to 44% compared to air-source heat pumps and

Durability

Because GHP systems have relatively few moving parts, and because those parts are sheltered inside a building, they are durable and highly reliable. The underground piping often carries warranties of 25 to 50 years, and the GHPs often last 20 years or more.

Reduced Vandalism

GHPs usually have no outdoor compressors or cooling towers, so the potential for vandalism is eliminated. up to 72% compared to electric resistance heating with standard air conditioning equipment.

Low Maintenance

According to a study completed for the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium (GHPC), buildings with GHP systems had average total maintenance costs ranging from 6 to 11 cents per square foot, or about one-third that of conventional systems. Because the workhorse part of the system— the piping—is underground or underwater, there is little maintenance required. Occasional cleaning of the heat exchanger coils and regularly changing the air filters are about all the work necessary to keep the system in good running order.

Zone Heating and Cooling

These systems provide excellent "zone" space conditioning. With this, different areas of the building can be heated or cooled to different temperatures simultaneously.

For example, GHP systems can easily move heat from computer rooms (which need constant cooling) to the perimeter walls for winter heating in commercial buildings. School officials like the flexibility of heating or cooling just auditoriums or gymnasiums for special events—rather than the entire school.