Daniel Gontcharenko and his partner, John Daidone, installed solar panels on their Riverhead house a little more than five years ago to harness the sun and battle high electricity costs. Then they went further, using the power of the earth to provide heating and cooling.
They installed a geothermal system — a pricey but environmentally friendly technology that pipes fluid through the ground to generate heat in the winter and cold in the summer. Their system cost $45,000 in 2018. However, Gontcharenko, 63, a director of client services for a marketing firm, said they received PSEG Long Island rebates and tax credits totaling $23,000, so their actual cost was $22,000. He and Daidone, 62, a technical writer and editor, like living in a house that provides its own power, heating and cooling.
“In the five years that we’ve been in our home, we only had two months when we had to pay a small electric bill,” he said. “Environmentally, it makes us feel good that our home energy costs aren’t contributing to carbon emissions.”
Gontcharenko and Daidone are two of a steadily growing group of Long Islanders who have installed geothermal systems in their homes. Despite high upfront costs, experts say geothermal’s popularity is heating up.
What is geothermal and how does it work?
Geothermal systems replace traditional HVAC systems powered by electricity, gas or oil, according to Mike Voltz, PSEG-Long Island’s director of energy efficiency and renewables.
Water blended with antifreeze typically is piped underground where groundwater temperatures range from 45 to 60 degrees, he said. It is run through a compressor and heat pump system to heat or cool, depending on the time of year.
You have a hot and a cold side. A refrigerator is cold inside. Put your hand on the back of the refrigerator, it’s warm.
— Mike Voltz, PSEG-Long Island’s director of energy efficiency and renewables
“There’s a ground loop of pipe with water at a constant temperature underground,” said…
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