Geothermal Heat Pumps for Schools, Libraries and Hospitals: Big Paybacks

GeoTility Systems Corporation, a geothermal heat pump designer and installer located in Western Canada has developed a new compact drilling platform allowing them to retrofit older buildings with new geothermal heat pump systems. With trends toward green alternative energy sources many building and home owners are searching for green energy that can be installed in their long-standing structures.

GeoTility’s most recent project was at the Hotel Georgia in downtown Vancouver in which they used their compact drilling platform to install the system from the bottom floor of an already constructed parkade. In a recent article published in The Tyee, Barry Milner, the marketing director for GeoTility, was quoted as saying “The new compact drilling platform means less construction delay in new developments and increases the possibilities for retrofitting buildings. And with Vancouver pledging to go carbon neutral by 2020,” he said, “there may be a lot more retrofitting work to come.”

With the installation costs for geothermal heat pumps the primary barrier, GeoTility explains that they are particularly appropriate for schools, libraries and hospitals. The installation costs for a geothermal heat pump can range from $10,000 to $15,000 but once it is installed, building owners can expect paybacks within seven years. Because geothermal heat pumps have an extremely long life cycle building owners can expect to receive these paybacks for over 50 years. Smaller homeowners also receive the financial benefits of geothermal heat pumps but schools, hospitals, and libraries have an expected longevity thereby maximizing their paybacks.

One concern Milner raised was the lack of regulations for geothermal heat pump contractors. Currently there is no government or trade organization to regulate standards in the geothermal heat pump industry allowing some small contractors to install poorly designed or inappropriate geothermal heat pumps. Read our article “How to Find a Qualified Geothermal Heat Pump Contractor“to make sure you are getting the best service possible.