Heat Pumps vs. Natural Gas

The need to meet both economical and environmental goals has generated a great deal of interest in ground source heat pumps.  Unfortunately, it has also generated a great deal of misinformation. 

MYTH	Ground source heat pumps enable building owners to tap into a "free" source of energy.
FACT	There's no such thing as free energy.  All energy sources have production and usage costs that need to be evaluated in the light of day.
MYTH	Ground source heat pumps quickly pay for themselves in energy savings.
FACT	In central Pennsylvania, the incremental cost of a ground source heat pump will NEVER be recovered.  In northeastern Pennsylvania, it would take 50 years to recover the incremental cost of a ground source heat pump.
MYTH	Ground source heat pumps will reduce utility bills for building owners.
FACT	Building owners will ultimately pay more with a ground source heat pump than with a high efficiency natural gas heating/electric space cooling system.
MYTH	Ground source heat pumps are the clear choice for improving air quality and reducing emissions that cause global warming.
FACT	The facts show that in Pennsylvania, using a ground source heat pump will result in significantly higher levels of carbon dioxide than a natural gas heating/electric space cooling system.
MYTH	Use of a ground source heat pump will help reduce our use of environmentally damaging fossil fuels.
FACT	Ground source heat pumps use electricity to function.  Electrical power plants are the number one source of harmful emissions -- in Pennsylvania and the world.  Half of the electricity in Pennsylvania is generated with coal in a process that is only 30% efficient by the time it reaches its end user.