Why Geo-Exchange Heating?

Why Geo-Exchange Heating?

To provide the heat for the radiant in-floor system, we could have used either a natural gas boiler or a ground-source heat pump (GSHP). We decided on geo-exchange (via the GSHP) as a year-round, constant source of renewable energy. A local installer, Thermal Creek, is installing the Nordic heat-pump which is made in New Brunswick.

Low Carbon Footprint

Geo-exchange can potentially be carbon-emissions free, depending on the source of the electrical power driving the pump. For the first few years we'll be drawing power from the Alberta grid which means dirty coal-powered electricity. So initially, our carbon footprint will not be much improved over natural gas. However, we plan to add solar photovoltaic panels within 5 years, providing carbon-free electricity to run the GSHP. At that point, the house will approach Net Zero.

Efficient Heating

The beauty of geo-exchange is that you only provide electrical energy to drive the pumps. The natural year-round warmth of the earth provides the heating for your home. This can lead to incredible efficiencies of between 300% to 500%. Compare that to a high-efficiency natural gas furnace running around 90% efficient and you start to see the benefits of geo-exchange.

Payback Period

Due to the high initial cost of the drilling and heat-pump required for geo-exchange, the payback period is measured in decades. Even factoring in the $10K Alberta New Home grant, geo-exchange still has a steep initial cost. In our case, the high cost of a natural gas boiler meant the price difference was close enough to justify spending more for a renewable energy source.