* Low heating costs.
* Uses significantly less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems.
* Forty-eight percent more efficient than gas furnaces, 75 percent more efficient than oil furnaces.
* Uses the Earth’s natural heat, a renewable energy.
* Low level of greenhouse gas and other air emissions.
* System both heats and cools a house.
* Free hot water in summer, reduced cost the rest of the year.
* Quiet operation.
* Uniform heating, eliminates hot and cold spots.
* No furnace or chimney to clean.
* Maintenance is just changing the heat pump unit’s air filter.
* Can be retrofitted in existing homes, particularly those with forced air duct systems.
* Underground piping should last more than 50 years.
* High installation costs.
* Requires an appropriate site — a big yard for horizontal installation, bedrock-free ground for vertical installation or a well or pond.
* Must dig trenches or bore holes on property for pipes.
* Installation can be complicated.
* In the city, installation may not be possible because of small lots.
* Geothermal units often are not compatible with existing houses with hot water heat and radiators.
* Geothermal is not as green as solar energy in the Northland because geothermal heat pumps run on coal-based electricity.
* Payback on installation costs could be as long as 20 years.
* Need to hire a certified installer.
