Some agencies have seen a 40 percent increase in sales over the past year.
ESCANABA -- As the push for greener energy strengthens, more and more people are turning to geothermal energy to heat and cool their homes.
Some agencies have seen a 40 percent increase in sales over the past year.
Matt Sviland is developing 17 new loft apartments in the old Delta Building in downtown Escanaba. He decided to use geothermal energy to heat and cool the new apartments.
"We want this project to be a green project, and part of that sustainability in greenness is involving the energy options that we're using for heating and cooling this building," explained Sviland.
Geothermal energy, which is energy extracted from the earth through underground pipes, is used to heat and cool homes.
Sviland was among 70 Delta County residents at Monday night's geothermal seminar in Escanaba. Officials say geothermal is about a third more expensive to install than conventional heating and cooling systems, but the savings will pay off in the long run.
"It's attached to the renewable energy portion of the federal government tax credits; it's completely American technology, so it's 100 percent American made product," explained speaker and FHP Manufacturing Company Regional Manager, Paul Svoboda. "It can save the end user up to 75 percent on their heating, air conditioning bills."
And surprisingly, the climate you live in, whether up here in the U.P. or down south, isn't a factor if you're looking into geothermal energy.
"Typically ground, right in between six to eight feet, is the same temperature here in Michigan as it would be in Missouri, and really, we can operate this technology all over the country and all over the world," Svoboda said.
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