Combine Jackson Electric Cooperative's rebate with the federal tax credit to increase the cost-effectiveness of this investment.

A geothermal heat pump is not only the highest efficiency heating and cooling system available, it also uses a renewable energy source - the earth. A geothermal heat pump uses the constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool. This allows the system to reach high efficiencies even on the coldest winter nights. Water circulates through a network of durable plastic loop pipe that is buried in the ground which absorbs earth's energy. A heat pump, connected to the loop pipe, extracts that energy and converts it into heat. At the flip of a switch, the process can be reversed to cool your home.

A ground source heat pump loop pipe can be installed vertical, horizontal or even in ponds. In some cases, well water can be circulated directly through the heat pump, eliminating the need for the loop pipe.

Go to www.wisgeo.org to view a list of qualified installers of geothermal systems.

Ground Source Heat Pump vs. Fossil Fuels Cost Comparison

Type of Electric Heat

Efficiency

Cost/kWh

Propane/gal

Fuel Oil/gal

Natural Gas/therm

Ground Source Heat Pump

400%

4.9-cents

$0.30

$0.47

$0.44

 
For an example, if you currently heat with propane, you would have to buy propane at 30-cents per gallon to equal the cost of heating with a ground source heat pump at the dual fuel rate of 4.9-cents per kwh.