Geothermal heating

[El Blanco]

My sister's boyfriend is going to some seminar in Michigan about geothermal heating and invited me to go along. Talking about installing and selling. Supposedly, it is less expensive than fossil fuels over the long term and that there is a lot of housing development in upstate NY that may install it.

I've also heard that Europe uses it and that it is very efficient.

With gas prices going up (I honestly think I'll be paying $3 a gallon by Sept) , this looks like a great thing to get in on the ground floor of.

So, what are the drawbacks? I want to know what I'm gett ing into. I know the instillation is expensive, but that is supposedly being taken care of by new technology.

What else should I be aware of if I decide to go with him?

[AChimp]

As far as I know, geothermal energy can only be harnessed effectively in certain environments (type of ground, etc.)

It's fairly efficient if it will work in your geographical region. I have my doubts about it working as well further north, even here in Winnipeg. We get some cold ass frosts in the winter that go a few feet deep, so I don't know how "warm" the underground could be. :/

[mburbank]

I don't know much about geothermal heating, but I do know rotting organic matter gives off heat which is why during the winter I always fill my bed up with coffee grounds, egg shells, vegetable peelings and people I've recently killed.

Seriously though, if there's a way to use Geothermal energy to heat your home I'm all for it. I'm going to ask some of my science chums about it.

[da blob]

My sister and her "husband" (not married but they have two children) had a house built one year ago, they chose geothermal heating. A bit expensive to start with, but then you have no bills so it evens and more. She lives in Britany (Bretagne), where the climate is somehow mild even in winter.

[ranxer]

geothermal's pretty stable except that it still requires electricity or fuel.

ask a spelunker how to dress for a cave. its about 55-8 degrees fahrenheit 8 feet down year round in north america, pumping that in then using a heatexchanger we get a boost making heating to 79 or so degrees much less costly. how to get to the desired temperature in the house is the weak link dependant on the type of system.

[El Blanco]

So, I did the trip. I really didn't have to go, since it was aimed at installers and contractors. I did learn that the President and VP both use it in their homes.

Considering that these are two men who made their money in oil, thats a pretty big nod to geotherm.