Reducing your home energy consumption is good for your wallet and for the planet. After all, the less fuel you consume, the fewer greenhouse gases are ejected into the atmosphere. One way to drastically reduce your energy bills is to install a geothermal heating system in your home. Here's a closer look at what this entails.

What is geothermal heating?

Geothermal heating systems utilize the heat in the ground to warm your house during the cold months. Even in the chilliest months of winter, the soil a few feet beneath the surface remains warm. The heating system circulates water or coolant through pipes that run below ground. The water absorbs heat from the soil. Then, the water is circulated through a system of radiators or pipes under your floor boards, warming your house. Some systems are set up with forced air heating; the hot water is used to warm air that is then pushed through ducts and into your home.

Will you need a regular furnace, too?

It depends on where you live. In most moderate climates, you should be able to make do with a geothermal heating system and perhaps a space heater on standby to bring the temperature up a few degrees on abnormally cold days. If your winter temperatures tend to plummet to zero and stay there for a while, you'll probably want to use a geothermal system as a supplement to your regular heating system. It will still reduce the amount that your conventional heating system needs to work, saving you energy.

Why are geothermal heating systems such an earth-friendly choice?

Geothermal heating systems don't combust any fuel to generate heat. They just pick up heat that is already there below ground and would otherwise not be used. So, there are no pollutants released as your system operates. Geothermal heating systems do use electricity, but only enough to move the water through the pipes. If you're really concerned with electricity use (as some electricity in the U.S. is generated from burning coal), you can integrate your geothermal heating system with solar panels. Then, the solar panels will make completely clean, eco-friendly energy that can be used to move water through your geothermal heating system.

If you think you may be interested in installing a geothermal heating system in your home, talk to an HVAC contractor in your area. They can evaluate your home and tell you whether the ground in your area can support it.