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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters install geothermal heat pumps, we'll avert the greenhouse gases of 20,000 cars each year.
COCKTAIL FACT
Iceland gets more than 50% of its power from geothermal energy.
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home › tip library › Geothermal Energy
Is your house sitting on an energy goldmine?
The Bite
No, we're not talking oil deposits à la The Beverly Hillbillies. Geothermal power, which harnesses the heat produced by Earth's core, has the potential to heat a heck of a lot more than volcanoes and hot springs. (And if you can't afford the technology, there's always geothermal vodka...)The Benefits
- Huge savings. Installing a geothermal heat pump, which transfers heat from ground to home in the winter (and vice versa in the summer), can save you up to 60% on energy bills. Plus, tax breaks are available to Biters who decide to install one.
- Cleaner air. Geothermal power plants (many of which provide power to local grids) use heat pumped out of the earth via deep wells and emit less than 5% of the CO2 that comparably sized fossil fuel plants generate.
- Energy independence. If we harnessed just 0.1% of the Earth's energy, we'd still have access to thousands of times more energy than Americans use in a year.
Personally Speaking
During a team retreat, the Biter team enjoyed geothermal energy (and a little blue grass) firsthand last month at Norris Hot Springs, near Bozeman, MT. However, none of us is planning to dig a hole in our backyard anytime soon.Wanna Try?
Billionaire Biter?- Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium - tips for finding contractors, plus info about tax incentives for heat pumps, which pay for themselves in 5-10 years (about $7,500).
Budget Biter?
- Reyka Vodka - while saving up for that heat pump, enjoy some crisp vodka from an Icelandic factory powered by 100% geothermal energy ($23).
Biter Brainiac?
- U.S. Department of Energy - a great place to learn the basics about geothermal energy.
Sep 18,2007
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