Living in Atlanta can be tough if you care about your impact on the environment. With a metropolitan area comprising a staggering 8,000 or so square miles, it is no surprise that several Atlanta residents spend at least an hour in the car every day driving to and from work.
Geothermal Energy Solution
Fuel consumption may be mitigated through teleworking, carpooling, and taking public transportation (this is Atlanta we’re talking about!), but these options are not always as convenient as driving yourself. So while you’re waiting for the technology for hybrids and other alternative-fuel cars to improve, why not consider using an Atlanta geothermal energy solution to heat and cool your home?
Although there are several geothermal energy solutions in Atlanta, Georgia Air Contractors (GAC)—one of Atlanta’s geothermal, heating, and air conditioning service providers—has been controlling indoor climates and keeping Atlanta residents comfortable for over 25 years.
You may be wondering what is geothermal energy and how does it work. In technical terms:
Geothermal power comes from heat naturally stored in the earth, heat which comes from the planet’s initial formation, from the radioactive decay of minerals, and energy from the Sun passed through the earth’s surface.
That’s quite a mouthful, huh? Not to worry. To put it a bit more simply, geothermal energy comes from heat trapped below the earth’s surface, and it has been around for a very long time. Ancient cultures in places such as China, France, and Rome used geothermal energy in the form of hot springs for their public bathhouses. It has since been applied in various uses, and after first appearing in industrial applications in the late 19th century, it has been successfully used to heat and cool homes and other buildings for the last fifty years.
Unfortunately, geothermal energy still comprises a small portion of the human population’s energy production, but that number continues to rise with each passing year as more and more countries adopt some form of geothermal technology. This is a promising development; the benefits to geothermal energy far outweigh the risks.
There are several benefits to using a geothermal energy solution instead of a standard electric or natural gas unit. First, because geothermal energy is derived largely from the sun, it is constantly being renewed—making it one of the few reliable and sustainable energy options available for commercial business and private home use.
Next, geothermal energy is much more cost-effective than other forms of energy, and although the initial investment may be more than a traditional furnace or air-conditioning unit, it is still worthwhile as it will eventually pay for itself. The technology continues to improve. and new and cheaper ways to install geothermal units are being applied all the time.
Lastly and most importantly, geothermal energy solutions are far cleaner than traditional fossil fuels. According to Geoexchange.org, “over a…20-year lifespan, 100,000 units of nominally sized residential GeoExchange systems will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 1.1 million metric tons of carbon equivalents. That would be the equivalent of converting about 58,700 cars to zero-emission vehicles, or planting more than 120,000 acres of trees.” It seems like a no-brainer.
Geothermal power, a renewable and sustainable power source, comes from heat trapped in the earth, making it a green energy solution. Because it’s so much cleaner than traditional climate-controlling units, it’s especially worthwhile for Atlanta residents to consider installing a geothermal energy solution in their homes. If we can’t cut down on our automobile fuel consumption, shouldn’t we Atlantans try to cut down on our fuel consumption wherever else we can?
Questions about geothermal energy? Atlanta Geothermal is here to help. Please Contact us.
