Geothermal Heat Pumps
Continued from Page 9
“With all those houses, we were getting killed in the summertime,” Lee recalled. “We were fi ghting a continuous upward trend in power costs.” At the generation level, Anadarko-based Western Farmer’s Electric
Cooperative (WFEC) battled a demand crisis of its own. The oil shale drilling boom brought more people and more wells to western Oklahoma. Worried about potential brownouts, talk at WFEC turned to building a new 440 megawatt (MW) natural gas power plant. Seeking a way to reduce or postpone that fi nancial burden on its 21 member co-ops and their con- sumers, WFEC took a closer look at geothermal technology. In 2013, WFEC initiated a yearlong Geo-Validation Study that closely monitored geothermal use in 22 homes across Oklahoma. The results were startling: If 28,000 homes in its service territory used geothermal systems, WFEC could decrease its demand needs by 61 megawatts, which translates to a $69 million reduction in future plant construction costs. “We know that each home with geothermal can reduce our capacity by 2.6 kilowatts (KW),” said Mark Faulkenberry, senior manager of member
relations. “That doesn’t seem like a lot, but when you multiply it over thousands of homes, it becomes a signifi cant amount of peaking capacity that we wouldn’t have to build in the future.” With savings for the homeowner, reduced load capacity for power plants, and lower wholesale electricity rates for co-ops, there are no losers when it comes to going “geo,” Faulkenberry stressed. By delaying the need for new power plants and decreasing generation needs, geothermal use also reduces carbon emissions, scoring another win for the environment. In the end, however, geothermal’s ability to change an electric co-op’s energy future rests with the consumer-member. CKenergy and Kiamichi Electric loop programs bring geothermal costs in line with competitive heating and air systems, but breaking through old perceptions can be a hard sell, and as Lee pointed out, many homebuilders are reluctant to promote geothermal because the higher cost affects their profi t margin. David Brookshire, owner of Brookshire Homes, defi es that norm by installing geothermal systems in the 90 percent of his custom designed homes.
“I’m a green builder, and I believe in saving my customers money,” Brookshire said. “If I build a home, I do it right and go geothermal.” With more than 400 homes to his name, Brookshire believes there’s a bright future for geothermal technology in Oklahoma. “People are getting smarter about geothermal, especially the younger generation of homeowners. They do their research, and they know it will save them money in the long run,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it; geothermal is the up and coming thing.”
THERE’S A TREASURE IN YOUR BACKYARD
You may not realize it, but your home is sitting on a free and renewable supply of energy. A WaterFurnace geothermal comfort system taps into the stored solar energy in your backyard to provide savings of up to 70% on heating, cooling and hot water. For a limited time you’ll receive our Symphony comfort platform FREE1
with the purchase of a
select geothermal system. Contact your local WaterFurnace dealer today to learn how to tap into your buried treasure.
Learn more at
geothermalofoklahoma.com | (877) 634-3416
FREESymphony $600 value
GET A 1
• Web-based thermostat control • Energy usage dashboard • Control of up to 6 zones • Operational status & history info
• Allows contractor to service/ monitor your unit remotely
WaterFurnace is a registered trademark of WaterFurnace International, Inc. Visit us at
waterfurnace.com
1. Get a FREE Symphony with purchase and install of a 5 Series or 7 Series WaterFurnace unit from participating dealers. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Promotion runs June 1, 2017 through July 31, 2017.
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