So if geothermal is the most efficient and often the most cost-effective way to heat homes and <\/em>the technology has been used for decades, why isn\u2019t it more common?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To really understand why, you\u2019d need to look at the whole history of heat pumps, but the short answer is cost. Installing a geothermal system is a major investment, and while it can save most homeowners thousands of dollars in the long run, it has traditionally come with a steep price tag upfront. Fortunately, Dandelion\u2019s innovative technology, business model, and financing tools are \u201cdisrupting the geothermal energy space,\u201d making it more affordable and accessible for homeowners<\/a> than ever before. To find out how Dandelion has shifted the status quo, let\u2019s zoom out and take a look at the historical context of geothermal home heating and cooling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Archeological evidence shows that humans were harnessing thermal energy over 10,000 years ago. Early humans must have understood the fact that the earth holds a steady temperature year-round because, as the name \u201ccavemen\u201d suggests, they used underground caverns to keep cool in warm weather and stay warm in cold climates. Archeologists have noted that cave-dwelling persisted past pre-history and into the ancient world as people in places as disparate as ancient New Mexico and Turkey developed large \u2018cave cities\u2019 to keep comfortable and store food at a consistent temperature.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In more recent history, Bavaria\u2019s beer gardens kept kegs cool with underground ice cellars. Even after refrigeration, brewers relied on deep cellars to maintain steady temperatures. Nearly 200 years ago, Yuengling in Pennsylvania hired coal miners to dig \u201cbeer caves\u201d that kept beer at about fifty degrees year-round.Those \u201cbeer caves\u201d are still in use to this day!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The first theoretical application of geothermal as we\u2019d know it today came about at the height of the Scientific Revolution. In the mid-18th century, Scottish physician William Cullen used a pump to demonstrate the possibility of artificial refrigeration. A century later, British engineer Lord Kelvin used that innovation to theorize that the refrigeration process could work in reverse and laid down the concept of the modern heat pump. A few years later, in 1857, the Austrian Peter von Rittinger developed the first working heat pump and in 1912, Mexican-Swiss engineer Heinrich Zoelly filed the first patent for a geothermal, or ground source heat pump in Switzerland.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The earliest \u201cgeothermal\u201d heating systems could more accurately be called \u201chydrothermal\u201d because they used river water as a heat source. In the 1930s, Zurich\u2019s town hall building harnessed thermal energy from water flowing in the Limmat River to provide heating and cooling. Given that river water temperature fluctuates, and can even freeze over, the limitations of the technology are quite evident. It wasn\u2019t until the 1940s that American scientist Carl Nielsen of Ohio State University developed the very first true ground source heat pump for use in his own home.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Nielsen\u2019s ground source heat pump still used water, but his system harvested thermal energy from groundwater where temperatures are consistent. BBy tapping steady underground heat, Nielsen\u2019s system kept his home comfortable year-round. Researchers soon built on this progress, and in 1946 Oregon installed the first commercial geothermal system to heat and cool a 14-story building in downtown Portland. Like Nielsen\u2019s home heating system, Portland\u2019s geothermal system utilized ground water as a heat source. Today, we\u2019d call that an \u201copen loop\u201d geothermal system, we\u2019ll talk a bit more about ground loops a little later.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In the most favorable circumstances, Zurich\u2019s 1930s \u201chydrothermal\u201d experiment provided space heating and cooling at over 200% efficiency. Not bad for a technology that was introduced at a time when people were still burning coal and sawdust to keep warm. Better yet, the American geothermal systems of the 1940s boasted an operating efficiency of over 400%. While the core principles of geothermal technology haven\u2019t changed much since then, further innovations in installation would make ground source heat pumps even more efficient, affordable, and accessible to everyday homeowners.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n America\u2019s post-war boom was powered by cheap fossil fuel. In 1964, you could fill up your family\u2019s Ford Galaxie with gas that cost just $0.30 a gallon. The same principle applied to home heating: coal and sawdust had given way to fuel oil. This process was cheaper than ever, while more and more homes were outfitted with cleaner, more efficient, natural gas hook-ups. That changed in the 1970s, when oil-producing countries cut global fuel supplies after the Yom Kippur War, triggering the 1973 and 1979 \u201coil shocks.\u201d Overnight, the price of fossil fuels skyrocketed, sending the American and European economies into a deep recession. One of the consequences of the oil crises of the 1970s was a reexamining of technologies that could free homeowners from the wild ups and downs of the fossil fuel market.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n At Oklahoma State University, researchers developed the first truly successful \u201cclosed-loop\u201d geothermal systems. Closed-loop systems install piping underground that circulates a water-based solution that absorbs the ground\u2019s thermal energy. Unlike the \u201copen-loop\u201d systems of the 1940s, closed-loop systems don\u2019t rely on groundwater and can last up to 50 years without maintenance. Early versions used horizontal loops that required lots of land, but most systems today use closed loops, with ongoing innovations making them even more accessible.<\/p>\r\n Meanwhile in Europe, countries like Austria, France, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland invested heavily in home geothermal to cut fossil fuel use. In 1980, Germany added 25,000 systems, and by 1982 more than 50,000 French homes upgraded with heat pumps. That same year, a Swiss firm introduced the first vertical ground loop, which needed far less space than horizontal systems. This innovation would open up geothermal technology to homeowners who don\u2019t have Oklahoma-sized properties to work with.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Today, the oil shocks of the 1970s pale in comparison to the challenges posed by climate change. According to Green Tech Media<\/a>, geothermal will be \u201ca key technology for decarbonizing the roughly one-third of global energy consumption that goes toward heating buildings.\u201d Governments understand this too, and in recent years local, state, and federal governments have scrambled to incentivize homeowners to upgrade to geothermal. Currently, homeowners can claim a 26% federal tax credit to install a geothermal system. Further, New York State offers generous utility rebates, while Connecticut homeowners can claim thousands in incentives.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Geothermal has been the most efficient way to heat and cool homes since the 1940s. Despite the oil crises of the 70s ramped up commercial production of ground source heat pumps, the cost of installing a geothermal system has often been prohibitive. That\u2019s where Dandelion comes in. Originally conceived at X, Alphabet\u2019s innovation lab, Dandelion\u2019s mission is to make geothermal heating and cooling affordable and accessible for homeowners.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Dandelion is \u201cdriving down the cost of installing geothermal systems\u201d through a groundbreaking business model and innovative technology. Dandelion designs custom geothermal systems with smart software and a proprietary heat pump built for efficiency and low maintenance. By specializing in vertical ground loops, the company installs at scale while keeping costs down. (TechCrunch)<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Since 2017, Dandelion has emerged as one of the largest geothermal providers in the country. Across New York and Connecticut, Dandelion has helped hundreds of homeowners go green, save money, and live more comfortably. The company\u2019s goal is to install up to 10,000 homes a year. Last year investors like Bill Gates\u2019 Breakthrough Energy Ventures<\/a> put $30 million towards making that happen. Yahoo! Finance declared that Dandelion\u2019s innovations are \u201cdisrupting the geothermal energy space.<\/a>\u201d With Dandelion\u2019s financing options, you can install a geothermal system for no money down and pay as little as $150 a month. It\u2019s no wonder so many homeowners are making the switch.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFrom Cavemen to Lord Kelvin<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
From Theory to Home Heating<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
From Oil Crisis to Decarbonization<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Europe Leads Early Geothermal Innovation<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The Dandelion Difference<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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