Success Stories
Many people hve successfully switched their homes and businesses to geothermal. Below are the stories of three satisfied clients who are enjoying the change of Lifetime Energy.
New Suburban House
Wellesley, Ontario
Situation
Michael and Joanne Fritz live in a 2,900 sq. ft. house in Wellesley, Ontario. The house is one year old and sits on a two-acre lot.
Challenge
The Fritzes wanted a system that would efficiently heat their house, and be a superior solution to natural gas, their best alternative. They were also concerned with the environmental impact of the system.
Action
A local geothermal specialist designed and installed the geothermal system. First, their experts calculated the required load on the house, the cost of the installation, and the expected savings very precisely using the modelling program GeoDesigner. A horizontal loop measuring 3,000 ft. in length was buried in the backyard at a depth of six feet. A Tranquility27TM Forced Air unit was installed in the basement to provide space heating, cooling, and hot water. Ductwork was installed throughout the house. The full installation of the geothermal system was completed in about one week.
Results
The Fritzes will enjoy great annual savings over the high-efficiency natural gas system that was the best alternative. They will also have a reduced electrical bill from savings on air conditioning and hot water. The extra cost of installing the geothermal system will be quickly repaid. The geothermal system is entirely non-polluting.
The Fritzes paid $1,000 to bring the gas line in from the road for the stove and barbecue, but opted for geothermal to meet their space conditioning needs.
The Fritzes are thrilled with the great comfort level geothermal provides. Even on the coldest days of last winter, the house was maintained at an even 70 Deg F during the day and 65 Deg at night, as desired. The Fritzes happily noted the lack of cold spots anywhere in the house.
The Fritzes are very pleased with their geothermal system. Their experience demonstrates the practicality of the geothermal solution in a suburban environment.
Luke and Pat Dobben
Moorefield, Ontario
Situation
Luke and Pat Dobben live on a dairy farm near Moorefield, Ontario. The Dobbens live in a 1,900 sq. ft. farmhouse. The house is 120 years old and has double-brick walls. Only the kitchen, bathroom, and one bedroom are insulated. The Dobbens have a large yard and fields surrounding their house.
Challenge
Last winter, the Dobbens spent over $4,000 heating their home with fuel oil. The oil furnace did not keep their home warm enough for their liking. The Dobbens wanted a system that would cost them less in monthly bills, yet heat and cool their home more effectively. They wanted a system that would operate efficiently without any major renovations or upgrades to be done to the house itself.
Action
A local geothermal specialist designed and installed the geothermal system. A horizontal loop measuring 3,600 ft. in length was buried in the field beside the house. A 5-Ton Tranquility27TM unit was installed in the basement along with a small amount of ductwork. The full installation of the geothermal system was carried out over the course of three days.
Results
The geothermal system is guaranteed to provide a high level of comfort and cost savings in the coming winter. The Dobbens reported that over the course of the past hot, humid summer, the system provided cooler air than their previous central air unit was able to deliver. Due to the tremendous efficiency of the geothermal system, the Dobbens can expect to save approximately 65% annually on their heating bill, which will result in a savings of $2,600 over a fuel oil system this winter alone. With the additional savings on air conditioning and hot water bills, the Dobbens can expect to get a full return on their investment in eight years (at current oil prices). The Dobbens are also eligible for the Energuide for Homes' federal grant for installing a geothermal system.
The Dobbens are enjoying the full comfort of a geothermal system and much reduced operating costs without any upgrades to their home. The geothermal solution is effective in any household, and is ideally suited to the rural environment.
Challenger Motor Freight
Cambridge, Ontario
Background
Challenger Motor Freight is a distribution company with a reputation for high-quality service. Its trucks deliver shipments all over North America and Mexico.
Situation
Challenger Motor Freight has a 60,000 sq. ft. warehouse and service centre located in a recently developed industrial park. When completed, the service centre will feature state-of-the-art maintenance facilities and wash and fuel stations.
Challenge
Challenger Motor Freight required a heating and cooling system that could meet the demands of a large and complex operation while keeping costs low. A large and constant supply of hot water was also essential. The owners chose the NextEnergy geothermal solution.
Action
A horizontal loop design was immediately determined as the best option for the large open property that the Challenger facility was built on. A trench measuring over 500 ft. in length and 200 ft. in width was dug, and 90,000 ft. of NextEnergy GeoPipe was laid out and buried on the site.
Forty-four geothermal units were installed to provide the Challenger building with heating, cooling, and hot water. Our experts also designed other basic energy saving measures to ensure the maximum efficiency gains.
Results
The geothermal system installed at Challenger Motor Freight is much more efficient that the gas-fired furnaces which were the planned alternative. The higher initial investment will be paid back in only two years by the great savings that the geothermal system will provide.
Additionally, Challenger will significantly reduce its emissions of pollutants and set a high standard for the socially and environmentally responsible use of energy.
The Challenger building is one of the largest commercial geothermal installations in Canada to date. It demonstrates the enormous potential of geothermal technology in the commercial sector to dramatically improve efficiencies and lower costs while at the same time considerably reducing the impact of industry on the environment.
