Geothermal: Good For You, Good For The Economy, Good For The Environment

Sunday, March 1, 2009

The Economy, Good For The Environment (NAPS)—With increasing fre- quency, homeownersare selecting geothermal systems to provide heating, cooling and hot water to their homes. Increased energyefficiency—with savings as much as 70 percent—has frequently been both the driver and the benefit of their decision to go geothermal. Today, as a result of the Ameri- can Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, homeowners have another important incentive to choose geothermal. This bill offers homeowners a renewable energy tax credit of 30 percent of the total investment for a residential geothermal heat pumpinstallation. Unlike incentives associated with ordinary fossil fuel systems, this tax credit is not capped at a lifetime limit of $1,500 or categorized with energy-efficient appliances, and it makes geothermal systems more accessible to homeowners. Because of the advantages a geothermal system offers, homeowners can often experience higher resale values whenit is timeto sell their homes. According to the experts at WaterFurnace, homeowners who invest in geothermal systems and plan to stay in their homes can anticipate an average system life span of more than 24 years—compared to 15 years for an ordinary system— and experience less maintenance and lowerlife cycle costs. While homeowners continue to reap the benefits of a geothermal system long after it is installed, the investment in geothermal extends beyond the homeownerto also benefit the economy and the environment. In fact, investment in geothermal systems contributes to the growth of renewable energy and homegrown energy solutions. Geothermal systems burn no fossil fuels, thereby reducing total planetary carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, it encourages the growth of new “green collar” jobs associated with the manufacture and installation of geothermal systems, creating opportunities for heating and air-conditioning contractors, elec- tricians, plumbers, excavators and drilling machine operators who support the geothermal industry. Because geothermal systems tap the free, renewable supply of solar energy found in homeowners’ own backyards, the investment in geothermal reduces U.S. dependence on foreign oil and encourages energy production at home.In addition, geothermal systems burn no fossil fuels, thereby reducing total planetary carbon and greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing the homeowner’s carbon footprint— good newsfor the environment. To learn more about the longterm benefits that the investment in a geothermal system delivers, visit www.waterfurnace.com or call (800) GEO-SAVE.

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