Quincy — warm homes

Whisper it quietly lest the folks in Iceland get to hear, but the people of Quincy Illinois have taken to describing themselves as �The Geothermal Capital of the World�. A geothermal home looks like any other from the outside–it’s what’s on the inside that makes it unique. A geothermal system heats and cools the house by transferring heat from the soil to the house in the winter, and from the house to the soil in the summer.

In Iceland, where 27% of all energy is geothermal, it meets the heating and hot water requirements for around 87% of the nation’s housing. Quincy is really exceptional to beat those numbers.

Geothermal systems are not only completely out of sight, but completely out of mind, since the systems make no sound. Tubes under the ground simply convey warmer air in one direction and cooler in the other.

Geothermal saves you money

The greatest perk to most is the tremendous cost-savings of going geothermal. “Our house is around 2,300 square foot but the average cost per month for heating,� said one resident�, and that’s also heating your hot water–was $24.88 a month.”

“Everybody that I talk to really loves the geothermal–it’s a comfortable cooling system that’s very efficient, very low-cost–we have an average heating and cooling cost in the neighborhood of $47″ a spokesperson from Holtmeyer Construction which built an entire geothermal development. They told TV station WGEM that it is a big hit.

“Per capita, there are more geothermal systems located in Adams County than anywhere in the world–we are the geothermal capital of the world right here in Quincy, Illinois. No specific figures are given by the locals, but I guess it must be more than 87% of households.

Origins of geothermal

“What we did was take an idea that was back on the library shelf and apply some modern technology and equipment,� said Dr. James Bose, director of the School of Technology at Oklahoma State University. Bose is the leading expert on geothermal heat pump technology in the United States., �I got one of my textbooks from 1957 and looked under heat pump. I went to the library and did some more research in 1976. I was teaching a course on solar energy at the time.”

Closed loop systems

Many closed-loop systems are trenched horizontally in the yard around the home, and this is where a lot of the expense of a geothermal system goes. A pond or well will work, too. If you don’t have room for a horizontal loop, you can have a well�or wells�drilled. If you need to have your yard trenched, it’s usually no big problem. The trenches are usually about 6 inches wide, and a simple reseeding will take care of the disturbed lawn. The pipes have no adverse affect on plants above them. In fact, the Woods don’t know exactly where their grid field is. A grid built today should last from 40-75 years in virtually any soil type.

A big plus is that the heart of the unit is installed inside the house, in a garage, storage closet or crawl space, where it’s protected from the elements. That prolongs the life of the unit, which is quiet enough that it won’t be a bother.

Geothermal systems have yet another advantage in that they can provide you with savings of up to 50 percent on your annual water heating bill by preheating tank water. These units are standard equipment on some systems and optional on others. Be sure to check into the possibility. Since water heating costs about a dollar a day, the savings can be welcome.

While geothermal units seem too good to be true, they do have one disadvantage: They’re expensive to install because of the trenching or well drilling needed.

Tags: off-the-grid, heating, geothermal, quincy, Iceland