Oakcreek Cohousing Community

Tax savings

Persons who purchase a home at Oakcreek before December 31, 2016, can take advantage of a Federal renewable energy tax credit of 30 percent of the installed cost of the geothermal home comfort system.  The installed cost of the geothermal system in the A and B sized homes in Oakcreek is $8,222.50.  The cost for the C and D sized homes is $9,867.00. Thus, the savings on your income taxes could be in the range of $2,000  to $3000 for the year in which you make the purchase.

Savings in utility costs

A geothermal heating and cooling system can significantly reduce energy consumption, saving homeowners at least 40% and as much as 70% on their monthly utility bills.  The percent of savings for Oakcreek owners may be even better because our homes have triple-pane windows and are extremely well insulated.

The electric utility rate charged to customers who have geothermal systems is lower than that charged to regular electric customers.

Rebate from the City of Stillwater

The City of Stillwater offers a rebate program to encourage the use of electric heat pumps.  Ground Source Heat Pumps with an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of 14.1 or greater qualifies.  For a closed loop, ground source heat pump system, The Stillwater Electric Utility will rebate $200 per ton of installed capacity.

Better for the environment and our economy

Oakcreek homeowners can reduce their carbon footprints because geothermal systems do not emit carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or other greenhouse gases that are considered major contributors to environmental air pollution.  Geothermal systems use the free renewal supply of energy found in the backyard so they reduce the demand for foreign oil while encouraging energy production in the U.S. and help to create jobs in renewable industries.

Reduced noise

With geothermal there is no need for noisy compressors outside interfering with the birds and quiet conversation with friends.

Geothermal Heat Pump Systems use the Constant Temperature of the Ground

Geothermal Heating and Cooling is often referred to as Geoexchange, Geothermal, or Ground Source Heating and Cooling. They all mean the exact same thing, so don’t get confused by these names being interchanged.

Geothermal heating & cooling is NOT to be confused with a geothermal power plant. A geothermal power plant generates electricity using the core of the earth – we are not referring to this. We are talking about using the crust of the earth to heat and cool a home or building; there is no lava or electricity generation involved.

Ground temperatures are a constant 55° all year no matter what the weather is like.

Geothermal works because the ground beneath our feet is warmer then the outside air in the winter and cooler in the summer. Inserting a series of small pipes into the ground allows heat to be transferred to and from your home. In this process heat is not created, it is transported; therefore no fuel is burned.

Two Pieces to the Geothermal System



1. Heat Pump - the inside unit known as the heat pump

2. Ground Loop - underground pipes which connect to the heat pump

Winter Operation: The under-ground pipes, called a ground loop, circulate water which absorbs the heat from the earth and returns it to the indoor heat pump. The heat pump extracts the heat from the liquid then distributes it throughout your home as warm air. With the heat removed, the water is re-circulated to collect more heat from the ground. In this case the loop water is warmer when it comes into the home than when it goes back into the earth since the heat is being removed.

Summer Operation: The indoor heat pump takes the hot air from your home and removes the heat. This leaves behind cool air to be distributed through your vents as air-conditioning. The heat removed from the air is rejected into the earth through the ground loop. In this case the water is warmer leaving the home then when it returns since heat is rejected into it.

This is not a new technology; this is not a science experiment; this is not rocket science. In fact, in many European nations geothermal heating and cooling is the standard. In Sweden and Switzerland more than 75% of new homes have geothermal.

The EPA has acknowledged geothermal systems as the most energy efficient, environmentally clean, & cost-effective space conditioning systems available.

Source:  http://www.geothermalgenius.org/how-it-works/