As a second-generation heating and
air-conditioning contractor, I've
installed hundreds of conventional hvac
systems. But I also like to experiment,
so when I first heard about geothermal,
or ground-source, heat pumps back in
1979, I decided to try the technology
out. Those early geothermal systems I
installed are still working, providing
low-cost heating and cooling. I now
specialize in the technology, and with
support from local electric utilities, I
install over 120 systems a year — two or
three a week.
Ground-source heat pumps work
on the same principle as a refrigerator
or air conditioner: They concentrate
and move heat rather than creating
it. But unlike the air-source heat
pumps commonly used in the South
for heating and cooling, groundsource
heat