Geothermal Vs. Forced Air Gas Furnace

Forced-Air Gas

• Forced-air gas furnaces heat a burner with natural gas. A heat exchanger then warms up the air for distribution throughout the building.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

• Geothermal systems extract warmth from the Earth's crust to heat buildings and domestic water. They can also work in reverse to cool buildings, eliminating the need for a separate air conditioner.

Energy Use

• Forced-air gas furnaces rely on natural gas fuel, while geothermal heat pumps use electricity. However, because heat pumps do not generate heat--but move heat from one place to another--they only use a small amount of electricity.

Environment

• Although natural gas is one of the cleaner-burning fossil fuels, it still releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The environmental impact of geothermal systems depends on the electricity source, which can be traditionally generated from burning fossil fuels or derived from renewable sources such as solar or wind energy.

Economics

• Geothermal systems are substantially more expensive to install than gas forced-air systems, mainly due to the cost of installing a ground-loop. However, they save energy, reducing heating and cooling costs significantly and can pay for themselves within several years.