2 Vital Denver Geothermal Heating and Cooling Considerations

1.     Initial Costs vs. Payback

You can’t escape it: replacing your existing HVAC system with a geothermal heating and cooling system is an expensive proposition. Initial costs here in Denver tend to be anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 – or higher. Lot size, site accessibility, system configuration, ground conditions, and other conditions]17] come to bear on it. So too does the amount of excavation that has to be done and what type of ductwork modifications are required. And if you’re building a new home? It’s not as expensive, normally, but it’ll still cost approximately 40 percent more than an ordinary HVAC system will cost you.

Okay, we’ve dispensed with the bad news. Let’s turn now to the good news. To begin with, various incentives and rebates may be obtainable at the federal, state and local level to help you bear the installation costs. What’s more, the energy savings achievable with your new geothermal heating and cooling system will start returning your initial investment almost immediately. That means you could recoup your investment in as little as four years. But be prepared: Local utility rates and the end cost of your installation may prevent full repayment for, oh, say 15 years. Because geothermal systems often keep working for upwards of 30 or 50 years, though, you’ll still come out ahead. You just have to calculate at the start what your finances can take … and how patient you are.

2.     Geothermal Benefits Can Easily Offset Any Anxieties About Starting Costs

We’ll itemize the major benefits:

  • Compared to standard heating and cooling systems, geothermal heating and cooling could nick as much as 30 to 60 percent off your heating bills. And it could shrink your cooling costs by as much as 20 to 50 percent.
  • Geothermal systems use renewable energy – heat transferred from the ground.
  • Geothermal heat pumps don’t work by combustion, so there are no greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, etc.) and no fire safety or air quality concerns.
  • Given that no outdoor fans or compressors are necessary, geothermal heating and cooling systems are much quieter than traditional systems.
  • Since there are few moving parts and geothermal systems are protected from the elements, you’re pretty much guaranteed many decades of low-maintenance, top-performance use. Indoor components may be good for about 30 years, ground loops, about 50.

Need further information on any of these issues in order to make a decision about your heating and cooling options? Turn to the Denver geothermal pros at Denver Geothermal Heating. We’re glad to help, regardless of what you decide.