| With the days of 'good and plenty' coming to a | | | | heat energy will produce a desired temperature. |
| close we must start to do things differently to | | | | The energy is renewable because of the thermal |
| survive in this ever changing world. We are | | | | mass of the earth. |
| starting to understand that there is not an | | | | Understanding how to get to this energy is our |
| unlimited supply of resources and we must start | | | | next challenge. Many parts of the country |
| to look in every direction for new ideas to | | | | especially in rural areas have already embraced |
| conserve our natural resources. | | | | this technology because of the lack of availability |
| With the ever increasing cost of living we need to | | | | of economic fuel The cost of putting in a new |
| start being creative and find ways to decrease | | | | system should not be a concern because there is |
| our living expenses. In recent article 'Is a risk free | | | | approximately a 6 to 8 year return on your |
| investment a fantasy' I showed how to make | | | | investment and this could be even less depending |
| your home a true investment and how to get rid | | | | on the rising cost of fuel. |
| of a mortgage quickly and increase your net | | | | In the traditional furnace heater a high percent of |
| worth dramatically in 7 to 12 years. | | | | the heat produced goes out the chimney along |
| Now I am going to show you there is untapped | | | | with CO2 and air pollution. In a heat pump no fuel |
| energy just under our feet that is free and | | | | is burned so there are no emissions into the |
| renewable that will help all of us decrease our | | | | atmosphere and the heat pump produces as |
| heating and cooling bills and ultimately reduce our | | | | much heat as required. Because of how this |
| need for foreign oil. | | | | system is designed the heat pump can be installed |
| Why have we not heard of this energy before? | | | | inside the home and because the heat pump is |
| The biggest reason I can think of is that other | | | | not exposed to the extremes of winter and |
| methods worked just fine, the price was okay | | | | summer the heat pump will last a lot longer. |
| and the powers to be or status quo liked their | | | | The Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) is not the |
| positions of making money by selling a | | | | only answer to solving the energy crisis but this |
| consumable that everyone needed. Now because | | | | geothermal energy is usually not thought of as a |
| of our present concerns we are saying enough is | | | | viable solution. Other solutions are solar |
| enough. With the rising cost of oil, the | | | | photovoltaic power, solar hot water, and wind |
| environment and global warming and the fact that | | | | power. The equipment is not free but by |
| we are sending billions of dollars overseas to our | | | | combining the installation of any of the above with |
| enemies who control the oil and thus potentially | | | | a risk free investment strategy the cost of the |
| our county's future and security, we are starting | | | | systems will be a lot less by decreasing the cost |
| to realize that we need change. I believe one of | | | | of borrowing other people's money. Surprisingly |
| the greatest venues is the power of the internet | | | | the GSHP has the best return on your investment |
| and how one person like myself can make a | | | | of all the above except may be wind power. |
| difference and so can you. | | | | Another concern is how we build our homes. If |
| The temperature of the earth 6 feet down is 50 | | | | we would design our homes to be efficient users |
| to 55 degrees Fahrenheit all year long and | | | | of energy the cost of heating and cooling a home |
| consistently almost anywhere in the world. The | | | | would go way down. In the future our homes |
| concept for most non-technical people is the | | | | could be designed to have a zero carbon foot |
| understanding the difference between | | | | print and require no outside utilities to heat, cool, |
| temperature and heat energy and how heat | | | | and power a home. In the future we may |
| pumps are able to transfer heat energy from one | | | | consider living in earth sheltered homes that would |
| place to another and that the accumulation of the | | | | take full use of the energy under our feet. |