Ground-Source Heat Pumps

Sometimes called ‘geothermal’ heat, ground source heat pumps transfer heat between your home and the ground around your house. Ground source heat pumps use an electric powered compressor to help move heat out of your house and into the ground when in cooling mode, and from the ground into your house, when in heating mode. Ground temperature is much cooler than air temperature in summer and much warmer than air temperature in winter. Ground source heat pumps are the most efficient heating & cooling systems on the market and are completely carbon neutral when powered by clean, renewable electricity.

The upfront cost of a ground source heat pump can be quite high, and you need to have the right conditions on your property to make it possible. A well will need to be drilled or pipes will need to be buried underground, like in the image below. Once the system is installed though, the operating cost of heating and cooling is very low, due to how efficiently the system works.

Weatherization First!

An essential step before installing a heat pump is to have your home weatherized, which insulates it and makes it better sealed, so that your home stays the temperature you want it to. This means your new system won’t have to work as hard to heat and cool your home, which will save you even more money on your energy bills. Some common forms of weatherizing are adding better sealing around windows and doors, or adding insulation. Rhode Island offers incentives to get your home weatherized, even covering 100% of the cost if you are in a low to moderate income bracket. Contact your utility provider to learn more.

Contact Us

Sarah Doherty

Thermal Decarbonization Manager

sarah.doherty@energy.ri.gov