Since the beginning of time, man has sought to keep cool in the summer, and to keep warm in the winter. Now it appears some local residents are taking advantage of a cost efficient and environmentally sound way to stay comfortable in any weather condition. That way lies literally right beneath their feet.
Meet geothermal heating and cooling. By installing a series of pipes that can transport water from underground to a house and thus circulate cool or warm air, residential temperature control has taken a turn that allows for people to control the temperature of their residence without using natural gas.
For nearly 10 years, Don Batterson, a corporate lawyer for Jenner & Block in Chicago, has lived in his historic Oak Park home on Kenilworth Avenue. Nearly a year and a half ago, Batterson decided to hire an architect to renovate and double the size of his house. Just weeks before the project was ready to start, Batterson heard about geothermal heating and cooling. It was a concept he decided he could not live without.
“It was a last minute change of plans,” he said. “It just made sense.”
According to Batterson, the benefits of geothermal heating are tremendous.
For one, Patterson’s gas bills were outrageous every month, sometimes rising above $500. Geothermal, which eliminates the use of natural gas as a heating or cooling agent, will likely cut his natural gas bills to under $100 a month, which will be spent on utilities that still use gas, such as the stove.
While it might be “hard to project the cost savings,” Batterson was positive that in the long run he would come up with large savings.
Geothermal heating also cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions, which are thought to be one of the main causes of global warming. Also, said Fred Valentini of TEMPCON, the company which is installing the geothermal system, it eliminates possible freon leaks from air-conditioners, which are also known to cause damage to the ozone layer.
“It’s environmentally friendly,” he said.
“It’s pure upside,” added Batterson.
In order to get air from the ground to the house, TEMPCON, in their first geothermal project ever, had to drill pipes 265 feet deep into the ground. In explaining just how geothermal works, Valentini noted that the temperature that far underneath the surface is a “solid 53-55 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.” When the water is transported through the pipes and into a house, a heat pump, which uses electric coils to change the air temperature, then heats the water-and also the air that comes from it-to the desired warmth. But it takes less energy to heat water that is already warmed by the earth.
While the long-term savings may be considerable, geothermal heating and cooling is not cheap to install. Batterson estimates it will cost him a total of $55,000 to install the system, as opposed to $25,000 if he were to go with a normal one.
“The drilling is the biggest expense putting that in,” said Valentini.
Yet, with the positive environmental impact and long-term savings for customers, Valentini hopes this is only the first of many residential geothermal projects that TEMPCON undertakes.
Batterson also explored cutting back on his electric bills by possibly using solar power. However, this proved to be too expensive, and, as Batterson pointed out, a problem with the Village of Oak Park. That’s because, said Batterson, despite the supposed environmentally friendly attitude within Oak Park, it’s more than a pain to get them to allow any changes to a historical home (solar panels, etc.), environmentally friendly or not.
Don Batterson is not the only person in Oak Park to have a geothermal system installed in his home. Kathi Elwood of North Taylor Avenue, had a geothermal system installed in 2002.
“It’s served me absolutely marvelously,” she said.
Elwood has seen many of the same benefits that prompted Batterson to go with geothermal.
“It’s saved on our gas usage,” she said.
The savings from that, according to Elwood, have been prominent and worth hundreds, perhaps even thousands of dollars over the past few years. With natural gas prices on the rise, she expects the savings to keep on coming.
She also pointed out that the heat from geothermal that comes into her house is gentle and warm, instead of the “blast” of heat that natural gas brings in.
“It keeps us toasty,” she said.
Elwood is also concerned about the environment, which is the main reason she went with geothermal in the first place.
“It’s saving the environment,” she said. “I highly recommend it to anyone concerned about the environment.”
That’s not to say she hasn’t had problems with her system. Elwood reported that every once in awhile, in the dead of winter, she had to switch to natural gas to bump up the temperature just a little bit. This is why, as Valentini pointed out, many connoisseurs of geothermal also keep a backup heating option of natural gas just in case something goes wrong with their new system. Also at one point, said Elwood, condensation had built up inside her system, so better insulation had to be installed to correct the problem.
Overall, however, Elwood has been nothing but satisfied by her heating and cooling system.
“Geothermal is the best thing in my opinion to do,” said Elwood. “It’s our contribution to society.”
Batterson had some final words as well to sum up his fondness for his upcoming geothermal system.
“It made sense from many different angles,” said Batterson. “People need to know it’s an option.”
Aside from tangibles of cost savings and environmental health, there was one final positive reinforcer when it came to deciding to install geothermal in his refinished house, said Batterson.
“I wanted to do something unique with the project.”
