Geothermal Heating - Todays Green Solution
GEOTHERMAL @ VILLAGE WEST
The Village West homeowner will have one less thing to worry about when they move into their new home. Matas Homes is pleased to say that the Village West town homes will be the first geothermal project of its kind in Ontario. The eco-friendly buildings at Village West boast a geothermal heating and cooling system that to the owner means a system that is no worry, low cost and environmentally sound. “We feel there should be no dependence on utilities or they should be reduced as much as possible,” John Matas, owner of Matas Homes explains.
The Village West town homes will be heated and cooled by a professionally engineered custom built geothermal system ensuring that each home will be comfortable no matter what the weather outside. Geothermal loops will be installed in bore holes over 500 lineal feet deep drilled into the ground and a water/glycol solution will be circulated through them collecting heat and delivering it to the building in winter and carrying heat from the building into the ground in summer. Within the new eco-friendly home will be an efficient and quiet heat pump with individual programmable thermostatic control allowing homeowners to set their preferred temperature at any time. There is no natural gas combustion and therefore no green house gases or potentially harmful carbon monoxide created, which in the end saves money and reduces the home’s carbon footprint.
To obtain the geothermal energy from the ground, electricity is required to run the water pumps and system components for heating and cooling. The electricity required, on an annual basis, is less than a homeowner would use to operate a traditional natural gas heating system with electric air conditioning, while never needing to purchase natural gas, ever. With a geothermal system, you will never need to worry about the future price or supply of natural gas and you can be assured of all the heating and cooling you need. “Gas will run homeowners roughly $150 per month on an annual average and gas has traditionally increased five per cent per year,” Matas explains. The Village West homeowner will save more each year as the price of natural gas rises, savings that will accumulate over the life of the building.
This is just the first of many geothermal projects in this area. “We have planned a geothermal condo building Windermere Manor which has been widely accepted by our purchasers, but that project will not be in the ground until this time 2010,” Matas says.
There is also no doubt in his mind that many other builders will begin to follow in his eco-friendly footsteps. “Builders have to find a way to make the cost of operating the home both financially and ecologically responsible for the purchasers in a way easily adapted to the current construction practices in the area – we feel we have.” Homebuyers only need to think of one thing when considering this type of home, the future. “All the purchaser has to do is think about our planet’s future and our children’s future, the rest is easy.”
The Village West town homes will be heated and cooled by a professionally engineered custom built geothermal system ensuring that each home will be comfortable no matter what the weather outside. Geothermal loops will be installed in bore holes over 500 lineal feet deep drilled into the ground and a water/glycol solution will be circulated through them collecting heat and delivering it to the building in winter and carrying heat from the building into the ground in summer. Within the new eco-friendly home will be an efficient and quiet heat pump with individual programmable thermostatic control allowing homeowners to set their preferred temperature at any time. There is no natural gas combustion and therefore no green house gases or potentially harmful carbon monoxide created, which in the end saves money and reduces the home’s carbon footprint.
To obtain the geothermal energy from the ground, electricity is required to run the water pumps and system components for heating and cooling. The electricity required, on an annual basis, is less than a homeowner would use to operate a traditional natural gas heating system with electric air conditioning, while never needing to purchase natural gas, ever. With a geothermal system, you will never need to worry about the future price or supply of natural gas and you can be assured of all the heating and cooling you need. “Gas will run homeowners roughly $150 per month on an annual average and gas has traditionally increased five per cent per year,” Matas explains. The Village West homeowner will save more each year as the price of natural gas rises, savings that will accumulate over the life of the building.
This is just the first of many geothermal projects in this area. “We have planned a geothermal condo building Windermere Manor which has been widely accepted by our purchasers, but that project will not be in the ground until this time 2010,” Matas says.
There is also no doubt in his mind that many other builders will begin to follow in his eco-friendly footsteps. “Builders have to find a way to make the cost of operating the home both financially and ecologically responsible for the purchasers in a way easily adapted to the current construction practices in the area – we feel we have.” Homebuyers only need to think of one thing when considering this type of home, the future. “All the purchaser has to do is think about our planet’s future and our children’s future, the rest is easy.”
ENERGY STAR @ MATAS HOMES
ENERGY STAR appointed new homes are built to strict standards and they must pass required evaluations that ensure specification compliance. As an Energy Star registered builder, Matas Homes and Rakla Development have committed to building homes that lower the homeowner operating costs while benefiting the environment. Each ENERGY STAR appointed new home enjoys significant monthly energy savings thanks to energy efficient products and building practices. Residential properties account for 17% of all greenhouse gas emissions. ENERGY STAR appointed homes expend less energy which equals fewer pollutants in our air and improved air quality means a healthier environment for us all.
