Radio: CNY community program pushes geothermal energy to decrease costs, harm to environment
Air date: 11/28/18 on WRVO
Listen Here! http://www.wrvo.org/post/cny-community-program-pushes-geothermal-energy-decrease-costs-harm-environment
A two-year community-based campaign has started in central New York meant to drive down heating and cooling costs and greenhouse gas emissions by using geothermal energy.
The campaign is called HeatSmart CNY, and it helps homeowners install ground-source and air-source heat pumps designed for cold climates.
HeatSmart CNY program manager Lindsay Speer explained how these pumps work.
“There’s energy in the air and earth around us all the time,” Speer said. “There’s heat there. And so, what air source and ground source heat pumps do is they capture that energy and compress it and bring it into your home, pumping up the heat to the temperature you want in your house.”
It is a heating and cooling method that has been used in other parts of the country for years. Improved technology has made it more feasible for colder climates. Typical homes using oil or propane heat can save up to $1,800/year in fuel costs after installing heat pumps.
