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Leonard Residence

front of a ranch house with solar panels on the roofLocke, NY

Square Footage: 3,200 sq ft (1,600 first floor, 1,600 basement)
Year Built: 2003

Concerned about the high cost of heating their house with propane, as well as the importance of dealing with climate change, the homeowners switched to a ground source heat pump (geothermal energy) to heat and cool their home, and added solar photovoltaic electricity. The homeowners are pleased with the outcome, remarking that: “We have largely eliminated utility bills, the heating is astonishingly comfortable and we feel good about not relying on fossil fuels.”

Installation and Energy Details

Prior Energy system: Propane-fired boiler with hydronic in-floor heating and baseboard hot water heating. No air conditioning. Propane hot water heater.

New Energy System: Ground source heat pump (GSHP) for heating and cooling.

New Insulation or Sealing: Increased insulation in ceilings from R-38 (12 inches of fiberglass) to R-60 using blown-in cellulose. Spray foam added to basement rim joists for air sealing.

System Specifications:

  • EarthLink Geothermal System (Direct Exchange System) with four ton capacity; approximately ½ acre horizontal loop containing 1,000 feet of tubing. Installed by Halco in 2014.
  • Hydronic in-floor heating with one fan coil unit for cooling in living room.
  • Solar: 15 kW roof-top array installed in 2014.

Net Zero? Yes, for 2014-2017. Shortfall in 2018-2019, apparently due to a significant drop in solar output due to more cloud cover than previous years.

Results

  • The homeowners are pleased with the outcome because they have nearly eliminated their utility bills. The typical monthly bill is just $16.90 for the NYSEG line fee, unless there is a shortfall in banked electricity in February/March (as happened in 2019).
  • Home is very comfortable because of the in-floor heating and because number of heating zones was increased.
  • The homeowners hope to have minimal utility bills in retirement. They recognize that when roof replacement is warranted, they will have to remove the solar panels to access the roof.
  • They have concern about occasional power outages, but are successfully “banking” excess solar electricity with NYSEG.
  • Financing: Self-financed after one year. While awaiting incentives and tax credits two loans were taken. Geothermal: $25,000 through Energy Star; $178.60/month, 3.49%, paid off in one year. Solar: $18,000 through EnerBank USA; no interest less than one year (would have gone to 16.83%).

Motivation for Heat Pump Technology

  • High cost and price volatility of heating with propane.
  • Availability of state rebate and federal tax incentives.
  • Concern about climate change.
  • Comfort was a consideration. The heat pump enabled the homeowners to add more heat zones in the in-floor heat system, and to have air conditioning.

Expenses

Cost Category Initial Cost Incentives Final Cost
Ground Source Heat Pump $45,027 NYSERDA rebate: $690 30% federal tax credit: $13,508 $30,829
Heat Pump Water Heater $3,180 Federal tax credit: $954 $2,226
Insulation and Air Sealing $4,767 Federal tax credit: $1,430 $3,337
Solar PV system $58,350 NYSERDA rebate: $15,120 30% federal tax credit: $12,969 25% NYS tax credit: $5,000 $25,261
Grand Total $111,324 $49,671 (45% of total) $61,653