Geothermal heat rises in popularity
In the 1950s, the house of noted psychologist Carl Murchison, at 2 Commercial St., was destroyed by a fire. The rebuilt house, designed by Walter Gropius, was outfitted with one of the most advanced heating systems of its kind, which at the time was a very expensive oil burner in the basement. now fully renovated, it once again boasts top-of-the-line technology — a state-of-the-art geothermal heating system.
Cliff Shorer bought the large property in the far West end, which had sat vacant for many years, in September 2008. Originally there were three houses; Shorer has received permission from the town for a total of nine homes. The main house is renovated and the gatehouse will be on the market in April. Assuming the market improves, the property could eventually contain five two-bedroom and four three-bedroom homes, and all will be connected to a central geothermal heating system.
Geothermal heating, which uses the heat of the earth, has been around at least since the first century a.D., when Romans used hot springs to feed public baths and below-floor heating. The first geothermal heating system used to power multiple properties in the U.S. was constructed in 1892 in Boise, Idaho.
The energy originates from heat retained within the earth from radioactive decay of minerals and from the solar energy absorbed at the surface. The most intense geothermal heat would be in areas of volcanic activity. but even the sandy soils of the Outer Cape can provide enough heat to be extracted and heat a house — about 55 degrees located 10 feet below the surface.
“The up-front cost is very high and you need more than one house to subsidize the cost,” said Shorer, a self-described “fanatic about green technology” who did a lot of research before choosing the geothermal method. “It’s a very innovative technology that works reasonably well.”
Shorer said there are very few pioneers in the market right now. Though it is considered a risky new technology, he said he is confident it will work. Shorer would like to eventually put a solar array on his septic field, which is in the middle of the property, to capture energy to power the geothermal pump.
“It’s the first of its kind, a community geothermal loop,” said Edward Malloy, president of new England Renewable Energy Systems, the firm hired by Shorer to install it. The company has offices in Hyannis and Weymouth and have been in business for 30 years. “a lot can be accomplished using non-renewable energy with renewable.”
In the 1950s, the house of noted psychologist Carl Murchison, at 2 Commercial St., was destroyed by a fire. The rebuilt house, designed by Walter Gropius, was outfitted with one of the most advanced heating systems of its kind, which at the time was a very expensive oil burner in the basement. now fully renovated, it once again boasts top-of-the-line technology — a state-of-the-art geothermal heating system.
Cliff Shorer bought the large property in the far West end, which had sat vacant for many years, in September 2008. Originally there were three houses; Shorer has received permission from the town for a total of nine homes. The main house is renovated and the gatehouse will be on the market in April. Assuming the market improves, the property could eventually contain five two-bedroom and four three-bedroom homes, and all will be connected to a central geothermal heating system.
Geothermal heating, which uses the heat of the earth, has been around at least since the first century a.D., when Romans used hot springs to feed public baths and below-floor heating. The first geothermal heating system used to power multiple properties in the U.S. was constructed in 1892 in Boise, Idaho.
The energy originates from heat retained within the earth from radioactive decay of minerals and from the solar energy absorbed at the surface. The most intense geothermal heat would be in areas of volcanic activity. but even the sandy soils of the Outer Cape can provide enough heat to be extracted and heat a house — about 55 degrees located 10 feet below the surface.
“The up-front cost is very high and you need more than one house to subsidize the cost,” said Shorer, a self-described “fanatic about green technology” who did a lot of research before choosing the geothermal method. “It’s a very innovative technology that works reasonably well.”
Shorer said there are very few pioneers in the market right now. Though it is considered a risky new technology, he said he is confident it will work. Shorer would like to eventually put a solar array on his septic field, which is in the middle of the property, to capture energy to power the geothermal pump.
“It’s the first of its kind, a community geothermal loop,” said Edward Malloy, president of new England Renewable Energy Systems, the firm hired by Shorer to install it. The company has offices in Hyannis and Weymouth and have been in business for 30 years. “a lot can be accomplished using non-renewable energy with renewable.”
Malloy explained that piping is installed to send a loop of water into the ground, where it picks up the 55-degree earth temperature. then the heat is extracted to heat and cool the house — a highly efficient system that, he said, emits zero carbon dioxide.
The loops are already installed and they are now putting in the pumps to pump water into the ground as well as the heat pumps in the buildings. each of the nine houses on the property will tap into the geothermal loop. The electric power to run the pump requires a small amount of energy, which can be supplemented with solar photovoltaic panels (which change solar energy directly into electricity) or solar thermal plates (which change the energy into heat) for the hot water.
Malloy described Shorer as an astute businessperson and a passionate advocate for green technology. “He’s put quite a lot of money into the project,” Malloy said, adding that there are tax breaks both for the builder and the homeowner.
Malloy said his company has worked with many municipalities, including highly efficient gas systems in Brewster and Bourne, and has maintenance contracts with Wellfleet and Orleans. The company is also in the process of retrofitting buildings at Otis Air Force base.
new England Renewable Energy Systems is also working with bill Webber, who is building a new home on Franklin Street in Wellfleet, a project that includes geothermal heat. “He’s going off grid,” Malloy said. several attempts to contact Webber about his new home were not successful.
The Provincetown Art Association & Museum considered using geothermal when it built its new wing. but, said executive director Chris McCarthy, test borings were done on the site and there was something in the groundwater that formed crystals that would clog the system.
So they went solar instead and received a silver LEED award for the project. “We’re the first green art museum in the country,” McCarthy said with pride.
Ron Peterson, from Atlantic well Drilling in Eastham, said his company has been installing geothermal systems for more than 20 years and that interest has increased in the last five years.
“More and more people are aware of energy conservation measures,” he said, and people have already researched the technology when they call. He also said that federal income tax credits have increased the popularity. further, the same unit can be used both for heat and air conditioning.
Peterson said that most of the units they install use the actual groundwater, rather than a closed system like the one at the former Murchison property in Provincetown, because groundwater is so close to the surface. There are many ways to capture the heat of the earth, he said, including submerging pipes in deep ponds. Nationwide, he added, the closed-loop system is the most popular.
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