Geothermal Energy Solutions, Inc.

Geothermal Heat Pumps – Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficient

Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHP) are highest rated HVAC systems in energy efficiency because they can deliver almost three to five units (model specific) of thermal energy for every one unit of electrical energy used. In comparison highest rated gas fired system delivers less than one unit of thermal energy. That translates into an efficiency rating close to 500%, compared to the most efficient gas furnace that rates 98%. A GHP taps into the renewable solar energy stored in the ground to provide savings up to 70% on bills. Using a series of underground pipes, it exchanges heat with the earth instead of outdoor air. While air temperatures can vary greatly from day to night or winter to summer, the temperature just a few feet below the earth’s surface stays an average 55º-70ºF year-round. Geothermal heat pumps are not only the most comfortable way to heat and cool, they’re also the most cost effective. They’re versatile enough to excel in almost any home or any environment, and you’ll find geothermal in more than 1 million households across Canada and all 50 U.S. states. They can also be scaled for single-family homes to entire college campuses.

Cost Effective

Geothermal Heat Pump efficiency allows homeowners save more on monthly bills due to Energy Efficiency of the Heat Pumps. With Federal and State incentives for the use of Geothermal HVAC the pay back of the difference between cost of geothermal HVAC vs conventional HVAC can be just few years and after that homeowner will realize lower utility bills. A 30% tax credit on equipment and installation costs is currently available to U.S. homeowners who install an ENERGY STAR rated geothermal system. Thanks to this amazing opportunity, there’s never been a better time to make the switch to geothermal.

Geothermal systems are so energy-efficient that the payback period is remarkably brief. A study by the Air Force Institute of Technology calculated that it takes on average just seven to eight years to recoup costs. Your specific payback point depends on factors like local utility rates, excavation/drilling costs, how well your house is insulated, the efficiency of the model you choose, and what incentives your state or utilities provide.

Clean

Large, high efficiency filters allow to provide exceptional indoor air quality and protect your family from dust and pollen. Geothermal systems work with nature, not against it. They emit no greenhouse gases – which have been linked to pollution, acid rain and other environmental hazards.

Safe

Because natural gas, propane, or oil isn’t required to operate a geothermal system, there’s no combustion, flames, or fumes and no chance of carbon monoxide poison.

Summer Cooling

As outdoor temperatures rise, a GHP collects the unwanted heat in your home and moves it to the cooler 55º earth. Meanwhile, ordinary heat pumps and air conditioners are forced to dump that heat outside. Unfortunately, hot summer air is already saturated with heat and is less willing to accept more. That makes ordinary cooling systems least efficient when you need them to be the most efficient.

Winter Heating

As outdoor temperatures fall, a GHP draws from an underground reservoir of heat, concentrates it, and moves it to your home. Meanwhile, an ordinary heat pump is forced to collect heat from frigid winter air, making it least efficient when you need it to be the most efficient. And unlike a furnace, GHP doesn’t create heat through combustion.

Do I need separate earth loops for heating and cooling?

No. The same loop works for both. To switch heating to cooling or vice versa, the flow of heat is simply reversed. With a simple flip of a switch on your indoor thermostat, you can change from one mode to another.

Can a geothermal system also heat water?

Yes. Some geothermal heat pumps can provide all of your hot water needs at the same high efficiencies as the heating/cooling cycles. An option called a hot water assist can be added to most heat pumps. It will provide significant savings by heating water before it enters your hot water tank.

Do geothermal systems require much maintenance?

No. Geothermal systems are practically maintenance free. The buried loop will last for generations. The unit’s fan, compressor and pump is housed indoors, protected from the weather and contamination. Usually, periodic checks and filter changes are the only required maintenance.

We Are Design – Build Contractor For Residential And Commercial Installations

• We offer a turn-key installation.
• Commercial-grade system componentsInverters up to 500 KW … Disconnects up to 800 amps … Everything you need for your commercial project.
• System design assistance.
• Pricing and availability. We offer competitive pricing for single family residential, multi-family residential, office and commercial projects. Choosing the right hardware … Matching system layout to blueprints … System drawings for confirmed projects.
• Project financing. We offer Financing with options for purchase or low cost leasing. Ask us for details of this exciting or new program.

Geothermal Energy – How Does It Work?

1. Water or a refrigerant moves through a loop of pipes.
2. When the weather is cold, the water or refrigerant heats up as it travels through the part of the loop that’s buried underground.
3. Once it gets back above ground, the warmed water or refrigerant transfers heat into the building.
4. The water or refrigerant cools down after its heat is transferred. It is pumped back underground where it heats up once more, starting the process again.
5. On a hot day, the system can run in reverse. The water or refrigerant cools the building and then is pumped underground where extra heat is transferred to the ground around the pipes.

Geothermal energy is the most efficient, cost-effective way to provide heating and air conditioning for commercial buildings, offices, multi-family and single family residential buildings year-round. The latest generation of geothermal systems requires less maintenance than a conventional HVAC system and is highly cost-effective given its ingenious and relatively simple design. This is a well-proven technology with over 30 years of active use that can provide reliable, long term heating and air-conditioning from a renewable, natural source: the heat in the ground.

Geothermal HVAC systems efficiently transfer thermal energy from the ground up, effectively lowering the operational expenses of heating and air-conditioning by up to 70% relative to traditional (natural gas and electric) HVAC systems. The volatility of energy commodities leaves huge unknowns in operational expenses for business owners, landlords, and families. A geothermal system reduces your exposure to these market changes and provides a stable, affordable source of sustainable climate control. The cost of a geothermal system should be understood as a combination of installation and operational expenses. The benefits derived from dramatically lowered operational expenses when using a geothermal system far outweigh a traditional HVAC system’s only advantage: initial lower cost. When coupled with current federal tax incentives for renewable energy, the payback period for the incremental cost of a geothermal system versus the cost of conventional system can be as low as 3 years. After this period, the system serves as a source of significant operational savings over years of operation, paying out dividends every month.

Geothermal Energy Solutions can help property owners and management companies reduce operational expenses by retrofitting existing systems with geothermal systems. The scope of the retrofit in most cases will not disrupt operations, nor will it require interior remodeling. The distribution duct-work and controls, in most cases, will remain intact, thus reducing interference with ongoing operations.

Geothermal Energy Solutions is approved ComEd Energy Efficiency Trade Ally, have the Illinois Commerce Energy Efficiency Installer Certification and the GAOI design and installer accreditation.

Types Of Geothermal Heat Pumps

Commercial Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal heat pumps provide both versatility and efficiencies that traditional systems can’t match. Temperatures can be precisely controlled in each space (perfect for schools and colleges). Equipment is entirely indoors with the heat exchange loop located underground. Geothermal HVAC equipment requires much less space, which in turn will allow owners to reclaim traditionally wasted space.

Geothermal heating and cooling technology is ideal for schools of all sizes and locations, from single buildings to entire campus complexes. Building owners can appreciate the low maintenance and operating costs of geothermal systems; parents in the community appreciate the safe and environmentally responsible choice (no carbon monoxide or gas explosion risk), while our children learn a valuable lesson in environmental stewardship.

The retrofitting of existing low-rise multifamily residential projects allows owners to realize significant operational savings which increase property values. For available incentives to assist building owners please go to “Tax Incentives” section. For available commercial heat pumps products that will benefit your project please contact our office. According to U.S. EPA the geothermal is the most cost effective, environmentally friendly way to condition our buildings. All above combined with new federal and state incentives, there’s never been a better time to switch.

Consult local expert for the incentives that could be available to property owners:

• Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deductions

Internal Revenue Code provides deductions per square foot to new or retrofitted buildings that achieve a 50% annual energy savings compared to a building that meets minimum ASHRAE Standards.

• Business Energy Investment Tax Credit
• Bonus Depreciation
• Federal Income Tax Credit
• Accelerated Depreciation

Residential Geothermal

Major economic benefit:

• Free energy, forever (you do not pay for the energy source; the only operational expense is the extraction of geothermal heat from the ground, a fraction of the cost of heating and cooling via traditional sources of energy)

Lower operational costs:

• A geothermal system can cut utility bills by up to 70% compared to conventional systems

Lower maintenance cost:

• Up to 60% lower maintenance cost vs conventional systems

Long life span:

• Equipment’s life expectancy is 25 years+, underground loops – up to 200 years with 55-year warranty from manufacturer on material

Lower energy consumption:

• 1kw of consumed electricity delivers up to 5kw of thermal energy
•  No gas consumption

No need for fossil fuels:

• System utilizes underground renewable resources for heating and cooling needs
• No fuel piping or associated controls

Safety:

• No exposure to gas line ruptures, gas leaks, no carbon oxide discharge

Environmental responsibility:

• Non-polluting, renewable, reliable energy, in unlimited quantities.
• Geothermal systems emit no harmful pollutants, indoors or outdoors. That means no carbon dioxide emissions, which are associated with the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Maintenance:

• Significantly less maintenance required than comparable conventional system equipment.
• Geothermal Energy Solutions has years of experience providing maintenance of geothermal equipment.

EPA and Department of Energy, consumer and industry groups, and geothermal system owners all agree: Geothermal Heating and Cooling is considered one of the world’s greenest and most energy-efficient options for heating and air-conditioning. Geothermal Systems Relieve the Strain of Soaring Costs

Incentives to help homeowners:

• Federal tax credit – 30% of total system cost. Can be used in more than 1 year and can be combined with solar tax credit.
• ComEd cash rebate is up to $6,000.

For any questions related to Geothermal Technology please contact our office.

Environmental Benefits:

EPA found that geothermal heating and cooling systems can reduce energy consumption — and corresponding emissions—by more than 40% compared to air source heat pumps and by over 70% compared to electric resistance heating with standard air-conditioning equipment.

Geothermal systems use the Earth’s energy storage capability to heat and cool buildings, and to provide hot water. The Earth is a huge energy storage device that absorbs 47% of the Sun’s energy – more than 500 times more energy than mankind needs every year – in the form of clean, renewable energy. Geothermal systems take this heat during the heating season at an efficiency approaching or exceeding 400%, and return it during the cooling season.

Tax Incentives

Benefits that currently are available to owners and operators of buildings with geothermal systems will significantly contribute to the bottom line of profitability that geothermal systems can deliver. There are a number of economic incentives that were created by the Federal Government for new construction as well as retrofit projects implementing geothermal HVAC. Accelerated tax credit structure allows property owners not only to shorten the payback period but also to receive significant financial benefits over the lifetime of a building. Additionally, the Federal tax credit is 10% of a system cost. Each project shall be evaluated for potential financial benefits from Federal, State and local municipalities. Please contact us to discuss the specifics of your application. We are happy to discuss and quantify the potential cost savings opportunity for you.

New Incentives for commercial building retrofits

New Geothermal Heat Pump Incentive for Businesses

The ComEd Energy Efficiency Program is now offering incentives for business and public sector customers seeking to improve the efficiency of their existing facilities through the installation of a geothermal heat pump system. Customers with pre-approved projects will be eligible to receive an incentive of $1,000 per ton of capacity installed, up to 50% of project cost.

• Geothermal Energy Solutions is approved ComEd Energy Efficiency Business Trade Allies, have the Illinois Commerce Commission Energy Efficiency Installer certification, and the GAOI design and installer accreditations.

When analyzing the cost of a geothermal system there is an important factor – saving/efficiency – should be considered as well as another major parameter – the system’s long term operation. Over the useful life of the building the drastic savings from lower operational costs of geothermal heating and air-conditioning systems will create additional cash flow and that will result in building value increase far over the initial incremental cost of HVAC system modification.

When comparing the initial cost of the systems, it is important to understand that distribution duct-work and controls will be the same for geothermal and for conventional system. The main cost difference for geothermal system will be cost of drilling and placing the underground loops – the conduit for the sustainable energy transfer from the ground up.

For new construction, the impact of the increased monthly payment as a result of the incremental cost of geothermal systems added to the mortgage will be easily offset by the cost of energy saved with geothermal system. In the contrary to any other system in the building the geothermal HVAC system starts to save environment, energy and money for the owner from day one.

Solar System – How Does It Work?

The conversion of sunlight into usable electric power greatly reduces consumption of electricity that is needed from your electrical supplier. The ability to produce own electricity compounded over years of use (expected life cycle is 25+ years for the solar panels) will produce energy savings and reduction of utility expenses. With Federal and State incentives available to subsidize the implementation of solar technologies, the payback could be as low as 4 years.Recent technology improvements had significantly reduced the price of solar electric energy systems and their components. Optional solar systems battery-based backup power storage system can ensure reliable power reserve when the utility grid is down. With a solar electric system, your building exposure to a rising electrical rates is reduced significantly.

Solar Systems – Benefits

• Reduce your purchased cost of electricity.
• Electrical outages back-up. With optional battery backup system, you can keep important appliances and critical loads such as internet modem, garage door opener, sump pump, and furnace running during utility power outages.
• No moving parts. Solar electricity generation does not involve any moving parts, substantially decreasing maintenance requirements and increasing reliability and long equipment life.

About Us

Geothermal Energy Solutions, Inc. is a team of engineers, certified geothermal designers and installers capable of assisting property owners, architects and general contractors in the design, engineering and installation of highly efficient heating and air-conditioning systems.

• We have engineered and built geothermal HVAC systems for schools, public buildings, multi-family high-rise systems, shopping centers and single family homes since 1998.
• We have provided consulting services for property owners on energy efficiency.
• We always work as a team with Architects, Engineers and Contractors to achieve an owner’s goals.
• We understand property owners’ goals and can assist in improving operations; our services have proven to increase properties values.

In business since 1998, we are experienced and ready to help you with all of your Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning needs. We help streamline your service requirements by taking-up your back-office MEP Engineering operations. You can focus towards your strategic core competencies, while rewarding yourself with rich specialized services that guarantee greater returns on your investment.

The list of services we offer includes but is not limited to:

• Design and drafting services for HVAC system construction plan drawings
• Duct sizing and design layout plan drawings
• Equipment piping sizing and design layout plan drawings
• Design, development and construction plan drawings
• Details, schematics, schedules, legends and control diagrams
• Mechanical equipment layouts, submissions
• As-built, permit drawings, specifications, coordination drawings, shop drawings and addendum
• Heat load calculations, duct – piping design and layout
• Equipment sizing, furnishing
• Entire system installations
• HVAC systems Service Contracts

Select experience profiles of the company principals are provided below:

Garry Birman, Ph.D. – Mr. Birman is responsible for management of the firm’s design-build operations. In addition to working one-on-one with clients, assisting them with new project development, he guides the firm’s engineering team and oversees the construction operations. Prior to founding Geothermal Energy Solutions, Mr. Birman was the owner and founder of the HVAC & Geotech Systems, Inc. (since the 2007 –Optimal Energy LLC, partner) – one of the first design-build geothermal firm in the Chicagoland. Since 1998 Mr. Birman has personally been involved in the successful design, engineering and installation of more than 300 geothermal projects for residential, institutional and commercial applications in the Chicago Metro area and in Europe.

Michael Vdovets, P.E has extensive construction management experience in commercial, industrial and residential projects. Mr. Vdovets had built nuclear power plants, office buildings, retail, industrial facilities and high-rise projects. His engineering experience includes engineering and design of the HVAC systems for nuclear power plants, offices, hotels and industrial facilities.

Environmental Impact of the current use of geothermal systems is equivalent to:

• Taking close to 1,295,000 cars off the road
• Planting more than 385 million trees
• Reducing U.S. reliance on imported fuels by 21.5 million barrels of crude oil per year
• Elimination of more than 5.8 million metric tons of CO2 annually
• Elimination of more than 1.6 million metric tons of carbon equivalent annually
• Annual savings of nearly 8 billion kWh
• Annual savings of nearly 40 trillion BTU of fossil fuels
• Reduced electricity demand by more than 2.6 million kW.

Contact Us

Geothermal Energy Solutions, Inc.

3000 Dundee Rd Suite 301 Northbrook, IL 60062

Tel: (847) 586-0570 Fax: (847) 423-6101 Email: info@geotsolutions.com

Monday – Sunday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Please provide your contact information and we will contact you promptly:

Careers

If you are interested in joining an aggressive, goal oriented team; we are always interested in talking to experienced professionals with experience and knowledge in the following fields:

• Estimators
• Project managers
• Engineers

Experience in geothermal construction and installations are a must.  Send resumes via e-mail only to: info@geotsolutions.com