Ground Source or Geothermal heat pumps use the earth to transfer energy between your house and the ground making for an efficient heating and cooling system. Like a conventional heat pump a Geo system will heat your house in the winter time at extremely efficient rates and cool your house in the summer for next to nothing. Because a Geothermal system is transferring instead of creating energy it is more efficient than a gas furnace and because it transfers energy into the ground which stays around 50-55 degrees year round it is more efficient than a conventional heat pump who’s efficiency and capacity change as the outdoor temperature changes.



Geothermal systems currently qualify for a federal tax credit that encompasses 30% of the installed cost and are also available for Oregon Department of Energy Tax credits that range from $600 to $1,200 depending on your situation. What this means is that if a Geothermal system costs $30,000 to install there are $9,000 in tax credits available from the federal government and another $800 or so from the state of Oregon. Geothermal heat pumps can save 60% of your heating and cooling costs vs a gas furnace and air conditioner or about 40% of your heating and cooling costs vs a high efficiency heat pump.

Most geothermal systems will also provide you with about a third to half of your water heating needs while heating and cooling your home. This could save you another$100-$300 per year in utilities. Prices of geothermal systems range from $15,000 up to $100,000 and beyond when radiant floor heating, pool heating and 100% of the water heating for a house is done with a system. The excavation needed is a huge portion of the costs associated with the system as well as the size and scope of the system.

A geothermal system consists of a heat exchanger(the 2,000 to 6,000 feet of piping buried or drilled into the ground), the ductwork(needed for most systems), and the indoor unit(just like a furnace or an air handler). While putting 2,000+ feet of pipe in the ground is a cheaper option, if this much space is not available we can drill 200 foot wells into the ground and run piping through the wells. Geothermal systems can be installed in almost any house but costs are highly variable. Call us at Sky Heating and Air Conditioning for more information or a geothermal site visit. Even if geothermal isn’t for you, we have other options we can look at.


Travis Smith –IGSHPA Certified Installer and Designer 503-235-9083 Travis@SkyHeating.com