Geothermal is a buzz word found in many circles of the energy sector.  But homeowners searching for information about heating and cooling for their homes may find much more than they bargained for.  Internet searches turn up all kinds of scientific jargon about geothermal and geothermal energy.

One search may take you to hot rocks, or magma, found beneath the earth’s crust that can be used to produce unlimited energy called Geothermal energy, or ‘Big G.’  This heat can be extracted from the ground to be used as direct heat or to drive electric producing turbines.  However, ‘Big G’ is limited to a minimal number of areas around the world where the magma is accessible.

Another search may introduce you to ‘Little g,’ which refers to the energy stored in the ground to depths up to 500 feet from solar radiation.  By a process referred to as geoexchange, this energy is captured by water circulated through a series of pipes in the ground and converted into heat for your home.  In the summer months and in warmer climates, a geothermal furnace collects the heat in your home and re-deposits that energy into the ground.  In essence, it’s a form of recycling.

Geoexchange is the term given by the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium to describe ‘Little g.’  More can be read on this topic by visiting NationalDriller.com.

Yes, you heard right!  The 30% federal tax credit for installation of a geothermal system does not end until December 31, 2016.

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008,  signed into law October 3, 2008 created a tax credit for the installation of a geothermal heat pump system in new or existing homes.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 expanded this credit by removing a $2000 cap for qualified installations placed into service beginning January 1, 2009.

Be sure to take advantage of this credit when installing your geothermal system.  It’s easy to claim.  Just use IRS Form 5695 when you file your taxes.

Form 5695 is also used for claiming residential energy credits for other home improvements like insulation, exterior windows and doors, and roofing.

With a full 30% tax credit, there’s no better time than now to check out the benefits of geothermal heating and cooling for your home.

Great news for the geothermal industry!  Water-to-Water geothermal furnaces have now earned the Energy Star rating for the first time.  With this new approval, homeowners who install these popular geothermal systems will now be eligible for the 30% federal tax credit!

We all knew these systems could save homeowners a lot of money on their heating bills in winter, but now the water-to-water unit has been given the “green light” of approval.  Watch for this market to make a big splash in 2010 and the following years.

Water-to-water geothermal furnaces use the same earth loop found in water-to-air geothermal units, but instead of heating air, they heat water that is circulated through tubing under your flooring.  This type of heating is also called “radiant heat” and has been used with gas boilers for many years.  Geothermal is a way to lower the cost of this type of heating while improving the environmental impact.

This Sunday night at 8/7c, ABC-TV’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition will air a 2 hour special with guest star Mary J. Blige.  This week’s rebuild is for a woman with a degenerative muscle disease who dedicates her life to helping children and families in the city of Erie, PA.  The program, which usually covers the build in just a one hour show will feature even more footage during this week’s two hour holiday special.

The Exteme Makeover Home Edition team who is focusing more attention this year on energy efficient homes, decided to include a geothermal heating and cooling system in the Ward Family’s build.  They partnered with Maleno Development, a family owned and operated builing company serving the Erie community with energy-efficient homes.

To complete this project, Maleno Development called for volunteers from the community and well beyond.  One such volunteer was Yoder Drilling & Geothermal, a company with 20 years of experience in geothermal loop system installations.  Because the Ward family’s home is located on a small lot in the city of Erie, installation of the geothermal system required a specialized drilling company.  Yoder Geothermal got the call.

Read more about this exciting event by visiting www.YoderGeothermal.com and following the Extreme Makeover Home Edition link on our home page.  Also be sure to join us this Sunday night at 8/7c on ABC to see the dream unfold for Clara Ward and her family.

We’re excited to announce a brand new look for YoderGeothermal.com. This site is dedicated to providing reliable geothermal information for residential installations across much of Ohio and western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Geothermal was once a term only talked about in classrooms across the Ohio Valley.  Today, homeowners all across the area are taking advantage of stored geothermal energy in the ground around their homes.

The word Geothermal literally means “Earth Heat” which is exactly what it is.  And geothermal systems are able to capture that heat and deliver it efficiently into homes anywhere in the world.

In the summer, or warmer climates, these systems are designed to use the ground as a deposit for heat captured in your home providing you with a comfortable air conditioned environment.

Why is geothermal a renewable resource?  Geothermal energy comes from the suns rays, of which the earth absorbs 40%.  That’s more than 500 times what mankind can use in a year.  Geothermal systems simply extract that heat in the winter and return it to the earth in the summer, renewing the ground for another season.

If you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional fossil fuel systems, look no further.  Geothermal is the most cost effective and money saving heating and cooling system on the market today.  At efficiencies around 400% in many cases, it’s between 3 and 5 times as efficient as other options on the market.

Be sure to check out our new web site and begin saving energy the geothermal way.