Truxton, NY
Square Footage: 2,300 sq ft
Year Built: 1988
Concerned about climate change and the price volatility of fossil fuel, as well as wanting to avoid the burden of cutting wood for a wood furnace, the homeowners switched to a ground source heat pump (geothermal energy) to heat and cool their home and solar photovoltaic electricity. The homeowners are pleased with the outcome, remarking that: “It feels good to be part of the solution to global warming.”
Installation and Energy Details
Prior Energy system: Wood furnace forced air supplemented with propane-fired heater and electric resistance baseboard heat. No A/C. Propane hot water heater.
New Energy System: Ground source heat pump (GSHP) for heating and cooling as well as for hot water.
New Insulation or Sealing: N/A, will be adding.
System Specifications:
- Ground Source Heat Pump: Geostar Sycamore 4 ton; 2 vertical loop wells 300 feet deep. Installed by Renaissance HVAC in 2016.
- A desuperheater as part of the system preheats water before it goes to conventional water heater tank.
- Solar PV System: Ground mounted 12.42kW unit installed in 2018.
Net Zero? No, but plan to add air sealing/insulation to building envelope and solar hot water heater to achieve net zero
Results
- Very pleased with the outcome
- It’s a great luxury not having to maintain a wood fire.
- The results for the GSHP were very good. However, there were some initial problems with roof leaks for the solar PV due to a faulty installation. The solar PV is now ground mounted, eliminating the problem.
- The homeowners intend to aim for net zero by further air sealing and insulation of the building envelope. They also intend to add a solar hot water heater.
Motivation for Heat Pump Technology
- Concern about climate change
- Worry about the price volatility of propane
- Wanting to avoid burden of cutting wood for wood-fired furnace, and dependence on wood and electric baseboard for heat.
- Long term cost savings from utilization of a heat pump, and availability of federal tax incentives.
Expenses
| Cost Category | Initial Cost | Incentives | Final Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Source Heat Pump | $42,000 | 30% federal tax credit: $12,600 | $29,400 |
| Solar PV system | $32,995 | NYSERDA rebate: $4,347 30% federal tax credit: $8,594 25% NYS tax credit: $5,000 | $15,054 |
| Grand Total | $74,995 | $30,541 (41% of total) | $44,454 |