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Geothermal/Ground Source Heat
Geothermal, or Ground Source heating systems, are actually heating and cooling systems in one. beneath the frost line, the earth remains a fairly constant temperature. This fact can be used to our advantage to heat our homes in winter AND to cool our homes in summer, all in the same system.
According to the Government of Manitoba, which has been looking into geothermal systems as an alternative to oil and natural gas conventional heating systems, this system can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 66% or more compared to fossil fuel-based heating. They have found that earth energy systems use up to 75% less electricity than conventional systems, and that maintenance costs are lower as well. Their website is found below in the Links section, along with that of the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, for more information.
Icelandic homes are now almost exclusively heated by geothermal energy (87%), and it supplies 17% of their electricity as well, but here in Canada there is a lot of business potential still to realize. We expect to add new local companies to this list in the near future. Before hiring any contractor, do ask for proof of insurance and professional organization memberships, get as many quotes as possible to choose from, and when you are comfortable, be sure to get the job down in writing before going ahead.
Where to Buy
Resource & Information Links
Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium
www.geoexchange.org
Professional information and links.
Government of Manitoba Geothermal page
www.gov.mb.ca/est/energy/initiatives/geothermal.html
Source of the statistics above, plus more information.
Next Energy
www.nextenergy.ca
Based in Elmira, ON, this company has a franchise in this area.
Village Technologies
villagetechnologies.ca
Primarily for commercial and municiple clients, this Toronto company offers amazing energy ROI.
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