One thing I would consider is how often and to what degree will you need the A/C, especially with the shade? Geothermal has a heavy upfront cost, but of course it's more economical to operate. You may find it more convenient and statistically wiser to invest in a high-efficiency split system heat pump. Just a few things to consider. You'll have to look at the payback. A good company should be able to help you make an informed decision, with your discretion.

Definitely look into geothermal. ItÂs your best option.

Take a look at the link below and scroll down to the testimonial of the man who installed a geothermal system in Manhattan.

This product is only one of many that may be suitable for your application.

SR

Here is a link that might be useful: EarthLinked Technologies

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How big is your yard and what is surrounding it - other homes, yards, buildings? Even if it makes financial sense to put in GT - you need to make sure your yard can accomodate it. Unless you have an very large piece of land to move a massive amount of dirt around to make a pit, more than likely you will need a vertical loop system. Find out if there are any local restrictions on drilling, and make sure that the drilling trucks can access your yard without encroaching on your neighbors property.

How well insulated & sealed is the current house and do you plan on upgrading that - wall & ceiling insulation, windows & doors? The thermal design of the building is critical to achieving the efficiencies and time to payback goals with GT.

How long do you plan on living in the house? If your time horizon is long (say 5 to 10 years) then you will have plenty of time to break even. If it is less than 5 years to 7 years, then you might be better off with other high efficiency options.

I just built a new home in N. VA and have GT, and I plan on living in the house for 15 to 20 years. It really is amazing how efficient the system is. I have 5900 sq ft of finished conditioned space on 2 levels, and another 3300 sq ft of conditioned unfinished space in the basement. My highest montly electric bill last year was 350 dollars. Highest summer bill was 330 dollars. We estimate that our montly electric bill w/o heat or a/c is about $75 - so a max of $275 for heat or a/c for my home is fantastic. It is cheaper to heat & cool my new home that is 2.5 times bigger than my previous home which had natural has heat & electric A/C, but the oolder home was not as well insulated and sealed as the new one.

I recently found some material on line from a class on GT systems. The guy who teaches the class lives in New England. He stated that the average yearly cost to heat/cool a 3200 sq ft home up there with GT is $1800 per year. The cost per kilowatt up in NE was stated at 17 cents. I also found another source that showed the average cost per ton of A/C to install geothermal is around $9000.

My yearly total electirc bill (het+cool+other electric usage)cost is roughly $3000 per year for 5900 sq ft (plus the basement) and the install cost was $5800 per ton of A/C. I believe that my electric rate is around 11 cents per kilowatt hour. These numbers might help you ballpark install costs and payback time.

Good luck!

A lot depends on what your heating source is. Natural gas prices have been very reasonable so that may make the geothermal payback difficult. Propane and oil are more expensive and more likely to make geothermal attractive.

My house is on a 75x125 lot with about 50x50 backyard and 15x90 driveway. We plan on doing a major renovation including insulating and possibly re-siding. We use a lot of AC and a lot of hot water.
Thanks for all the info, everyone.