4) What are the costs associated with these systems?

• Capital Costs
• Operation Costs

Capital costs for installation?

i) Heat Pump

The geothermal heat pump range between 1/3 to ¾ of the final cost for the total installation, depending on the in-ground system used. The cost of a highly efficient geothermal heat pump equipment is about 40% more than that of a conventional high efficiency furnace and air conditioning equipment. Keep in mind, at additional expense, a traditional gas system requires, a natural gas line connection, gas meter, gas chimney, and an air-conditioning pad .

The various types of geothermal heat pumps have different costs. A water-to-water heat pump is the least expensive option and is possible if radiant or in-floor heat distribution is installed . Water-to-air heat pumps are applicable where forced air ductwork is the heat distribution of choice in the building. A multi function heat pump allows for a large amount of hot water to be generated (for use in a hot tub for example) while also being able to produce forced air heating or cooling or in-floor radiant heating. 

ii) Heat Distribution

There are two ways of distributing the geothermal energy, either by forced air or thermal radiation, Hydronic in-floor may show higher efficiency when correctly installed. The geothermal industry does not recommend under the floor hydronic systems because of the unusually high temperatures required.

A) Forced Air

The cost of installing the ductwork for an EES is similar to the cost of ductwork for a conventional system. If retrofitting an existing building, there may be sufficient ductwork in place already if the building was designed for central air conditioning. An EES system requires a higher volume of air flow than an oil-based, heating-only forced air system; therefore the ducts may need to be upgraded if currently undersized.

B) Thermal Radiation

Installing radiant heating (i.e. in-floor heating) is more expensive than forced air. If retrofitting an existing building with thermal radiation heating, a floor overpour upgrade may be required because the lower water temperatures require more length of piping. 

Earth Loop or Well 

The costs for the earth loop can vary significantly from one location to another but averages are listed below. An open loop can be made much less expensive if a well already exists. In general, a well for an open loop system costs $90/m ($30/ft) plus casing costs, which vary greatly depending on when bedrock and groundwater is struck.

*based on GeoSmart Energy estimates

Operation costs

In general, a ground-source heat pump is expected to cost 60-80% less than conventional systems (i.e. oil, propane, or electricity) in operation.

Example: A 185.8 m 2 (2000 ft 2) home built above R-2000 standards at Shadow Ridge Estates had an air-conditioning cost of less than $50 for the cooling season and a heating cost of less than $300 for the entire winter.