Blog 4: Geothermal Heating in Maine

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In Residential Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems in Maine, a report released by the Governor’s Energy Office it was revealed that approximately 80% of households in Maine are dependent on oil for heating their home.  The report recognized that the escalating price of fuel along with its lessening supply was causing damage not only to the environment, but also the health of its citizens, and the economy.  Knowing this the Governor’s Energy Office has placed its support behind the renewable heating source of geothermal energy.

Geothermal energy can be harvested by a heat pump up to 1000 feet down to where the energy that is stored within the earth, available for use in not only heating but also cooling.  When heating in the wintertime the geothermal pump takes stored solar energy out of the ground and for cooling in the summer it does the reverse of this and pulls and stores above heat underground. According to the GeoExchange Association these pumps can substantially save on bills because it “collects, concentrates, and distributes” instead of converting kilowatts to heat or burning fuel to create heat.

            Maine converting to geothermal energy sources would also cut carbon emissions substantially.  According to GeoExchange with over 750,000 systems installed in the US it is the same as reducing the importation of over 16.1 million barrels of oil per year or taking 971,000 cars off the road.  Geothermal heating has been available since the 70s but in recent years the trend has grown with not only residents, having over 500 residential systems installed in state, but also with companies, high schools, and airports.

            Maine’s push for geothermal energy shows a strong understanding of the economic and health impacts of the increasing dependence on fossil fuels.  States like Maine that place so much emphasis on alternative energy use are attempting to decrease the use of these fuels and emissions in for not only financial purposes but with the interest of the future and well-being of the Earth in mind.  This article was very informative in explaining the several methods in which geothermal energy can be accessed but a downside is that it didn’t provide a prospective date for when they would like moving more geothermal heating systems in homes.  The article also stated that the upfront cost was pretty steep but didn’t provide any figures.  Learning of any incentives for installations in residents and businesses would also be valuable information.

http://freepressonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=52&SubSectionID=78&ArticleID=24352