It was -4°F outside when I woke up this morning. There's a winter storm warning for a massive nor'easter of the bomb cyclone variety over the whole weekend. I was born in the Philippines... I don't do minus.
Steve went to check the oil level because the mere thought of running out of oil, especially in this weather, terrifies me. Guess what...it's low, and we just put in 150 gallons a month ago. I might cry. Steve said they're super busy right now so earliest oil delivery is the middle of next week. I'm gonna cry, while I pout and shiver.
Here's the kicker. Last winter the price for the oil used to heat our house was $2.12/gallon. Today it is a whopping $3.39/gallon. I'm full on ugly sobbing. With the price of oil on a steady rise, it is time to seriously consider any - and all - alternatives that is more reliable, sustainable, cleaner, renewable, efficient, and less expensive.
It is time for geothermal energy.
I'm sitting at my laptop typing this post, burrito wrapped in my electric blanket, with the central heat blasting hot air non-stop, which irritates my nasal passages, so I've been refilling the humidifier also non-stop. Steve and I are using this blizzard to educate ourselves on geothermal energy and how to use it for heating and cooling, in between shoveling the driveway sessions and snowball fights.
What is geothermal energy?
Geothermal energy = geo (earth) + thermal (heat) = heat energy in the earth.
Geothermal energy is heat within the earth. The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because heat is continuously produced deep inside the earth from the "liquid hot magma" (said like Austin Powers). Depending on how close you live to the equator, the sun is also a contributing factor to the earth's heat.
Basically, beneath the frost line (36" - 42") about 6' - 8' down, the earth remains at a constant temperature all year round. So, why don't we take advantage of that constant temperature?
People use geothermal energy to:
heat buildings - geothermal central heating
heat water - geothermal water heating, geothermal heated floors
cool buildings - geothermal central air conditioning
generate electricity - geothermal power plant
Geothermal energy finds its way to the earth's surface in three ways:
1. Volcanoes and fumaroles - Holes in the earth where volcanic gases are released
2. Hot springs - Natural hot springs are predominantly on the western side of the US, Hawaii and Alaska, but there are some in New York.
My sister and I did a fun southwestern road trip. In Arizona we found a natural hot mineral springs called Essence of Tranquility. They have several naturally hydrothermally heated "pools" that range in constant temperatures of 98°, 102°, 104°, their hottest one is 105°. It is so amazing to soak in a pool heated naturally by Mother Earth herself. Truly healing.
3. Geysers - When geothermal energy creates reservoirs of hot water and/or steam, it is called a hydrothermal resource. The most famous superstar of hydrothermal power is a geyser named Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, California. When Steve skied out west with his ski gang eons ago he went to see Old Faithful.
To figure out our specific geothermal zone, we had to determine where we are located on the great climate zone map.
US Climate Zones
This infographic below is a Climate Zone Map of the USA from the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The zones are based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10°F zones
Bahay Namin (marked in the orange circle) is located in the state of New York, in Climate Zone 5A - Cool and Humid.
Zoom in more to just the state of New York. Here's a climate zone map by county. Note that New York State has 3 different climate zones. Bahay Namin is in Rockland County, that bottom most green triangle.
What does Climate Zone 5A mean?
Defined by cold snowy winters and hot humid summers, Climate Zone 5 features chilly northern climate where the annual minimum temperature can drop below zero. Climate Zone 5 = cool + humid; A = moist.
Bahay Namin is in Climate Zone 5A with geothermal temperature of 55°F.
This climate zone information is going to come in handy when it's time to choose plants, flowers, foliage, and fruit trees for landscaping and gardening.
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is considered Downstate New York. It is sandwiched between New York City to the south, the Hudson Valley to the north, sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, opposite Westchester County.
Winters in Rockland
Average Temperature
Winter downstate is typically warmer than upstate because of warmer water temperature from the river and ocean that keep it between 37°- 42°F on average. Downstate winter nights typically drop below freezing 27°- 31°F.
Average Snowfall
Downstate sees less snowfall than upstate also because of the warmer air coming from the warmer water temperature of the river and ocean. The nor'easters here are mixed with rain, averaging between 10"- 25".
Summer in Rockland
Average Temperature & Humidity
Summer downstate is sultry and tropical averaging around 80° - 85°F with frequent heat waves and high humidity dew points. Nights are often muggy, between 61° - 67°F.
Like I mentioned earlier, I was born in the Philippines, which means I'm happiest in hot and humid weather. Steve, not so much.
Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems
During winter, geothermal transfers the natural heat buried in the earth into your home; during summer, geothermal transfers the natural coolness buried in the earth into your home, by use of an exchange pump and underground pipes filled with water and antifreeze.
These are some videos (that I like) that explain how geothermal central heating and cooling systems work. This first video has a cool visual description [1:00-1:45], and a comparison between a gas furnace and geothermal [2:15], an eye-opening comparison with cooling and central air conditioning [2:30], the rest of the video discusses different underground piping systems.
Steve is busy calculating the CFM (Cubic Feet/Minute) of air to determine the size of the motors and ducts; and the BTU (British Thermal Unit) to calculate coil size in tonnage. He also said something ACH's I think, I dunno. He is dividing our house into 3 separate climate zones.
We are going to use a closed loop coil system that looks like a giant slinky, much like the video below.
In this video Tom explains what a geothermal heating and cooling system does [1:00], compares its energy efficiency [2:30], cost efficiency [3:00], installation cost, tax rebates and incentives [4:10], increased home value, plus the energy saving [5:00].
I found this article 4 reasons to choose geothermal versus oil heating by Dandelion Energy. These reasons are compelling enough for us to convert. Here they are:
Never worry about running out of oil again.
Improve indoor air quality.
Enjoy a steady even heat.
Save up to 50% on heating and cooling bills.
Ok, that is a lot of geothermal information to digest. I'll update you on Steve's calculation progress, the geothermal heating and cooling design for bahay namin, and which geothermal system we will use in the next post.
Thanks for reading. Stay warm!
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