Here you will find the advantages and disadvantages of geothermal systems over conventional heating and cooling systems.

Advantages for the user:

1. Costs far less to heat or cool a building, a 50-70% savings over conventional systems. For example, a 2000 square foot house in Connecticut can be heated for as little as $40 per winter month. The US EPA has called geothermal systems the most efficient heating and cooling technology available.
   

2. Systems last longer than conventional heating and cooling systems. The indoor unit is normally guaranteed for 5 to 10 years and will last 20 or more, and the in-ground pipes are usually guaranteed for 20 to 55 years. This is partly because there are no outdoor components, and partly because the constant temperature of the earth makes for less wear and tear on the equipment.
   

3. There is no combustion or open flame producing carbon monoxide, soot, or the danger of fire.
   

4. Because there is no outdoor fan unit, the systems are silent outdoors. The inside unit makes about as much noise as a refrigerator.
   

5. The systems run on electricity and need no gas, oil, or propane. The electric power can come from green power sources such as wind or solar.
   

Advantages for the community/government/electric utility:

1. The systems are more efficient than conventional central air-conditioning systems, reducing peak power consumption in the summer and avoiding the building of new power plants and distribution lines.
   

2. The systems use electricity instead of gas or oil to heat, increasing the use of electricity in the winter, when grid electricity use is at a minimum. This means the installation of these systems is revenue-neutral and cost-reducing for electric utilities.
   

3. The extra cost of the systems is due to digging and drilling to bury the pipes. This money goes to local, working-class labor and local heating/air-
   

4. conditioning and drilling companies, not foreign manufacturers or oil and gas companies.
   

5. There are established manufacturers of the technology in the U.S. and Canada, including companies in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.