FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter X Instagram Tiktok YouTube Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Restoration
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In
Design

A House with Geothermal Heating and Cooling

A builder’s home unearths the benefits of geothermal

After a dozen years in the construction business, Bob Burnside wanted to build a house that would symbolize his commitment to energy efficiency. “I wanted it to be on the leading edge of what we do here in Michigan,” he says.

The president of Fireside Home Construction in Dexter, Mich., Burnside partnered with Riverbend Timberframe of Blissfield, Mich., to design a home that combines traditional timber-frame construction with an insulated foundation and walls and roofs built with energy-efficient structural insulated panels (SIPs). A 2kw photovoltaic (PV) system helps to shoulder the home’s electrical load, and a geothermal system provides forced air for heating and cooling on the two main levels and radiant-floor heat in the master bath, garage, and lower-level office.

Built in 2007, the home was the first in the state to earn a LEED platinum-level designation (for more on the LEED program, see p. 18). It rated 5 stars under the Energy Star program, achieved the gold level for the Michigan Green Built program, and was a gold winner in the National Association of Homebuilders’ 2008 Energy Value Housing Awards. Its HERS rating is 37. (A house built to the International Energy Conservation Code scores 100 on the HERS scale; a house that requires no net energy scores 0.)

Key to its energy efficiency is the home’s tightly insulated envelope, which minimizes indoor temperature swings even as outdoor temperatures range from 10°F in winter to over 90°F in summer. “Because the house is so tightly sealed, it stays comfortable all the time,” Burnside says. “Last January, we lost electricity for 16 hours. It was 5 degrees outside, and the wind was blowing like crazy. In that time, the temperature inside dropped from 71 to 66. That says a lot about how well these houses perform.”

With his staff working in a lower-level office, the house is occupied throughout the day. Electric bills of about $70 a month cover the cost of electricity to run the geothermal heat and hot-water systems and are regularly offset by utility credits from the PV system. With the bill for heating, cooling, and hot water netting out at about $660 a year, Burnside is a geothermal advocate. “There’s no question it’s the most efficient way to heat and cool a house,” he says. “When you combine that with the efficient shell we built, we have a system that’s well insulated from the price swings of oil and natural gas.”

Although the biggest variable in Burnside’s energy bills is the cost of electricity, that expenditure is offset in part by the PV system mounted a short distance from the house. In addition, the home is outfitted with Energy Star appliances, and its electrical load is managed with a Lutron lighting-control system. Five of the home’s lighting circuits are controlled with a panel in the master bedroom and a remote switch in the car. “I can push one button and turn them all off,” Burnside says. “It’s energy savings, safety, and security rolled into one.”

Most of the technologies used (except the solar arrays) have become standard on the homes Burnside builds. Specifically, he advocates the whole-house approach that he, his crew, and Riverbend took in designing and constructing his high-efficiency showcase. “To build an energy-efficient house, it has to be built as a system,” he says. “Whether you’re talking about fluorescent lighting, geothermal, or energy-efficient windows, it all has to be designed to work together.”

How it works: Heat from the earth

Geothermal heating and cooling are based on the fact that while temperatures above-ground can vary greatly during the year, temperatures belowground remain fairly constant. In winter, when the temperature underground is warmer than the air temperature, tubes carrying water or freeze-resistant liquid bring heat from the ground to a heat pump that extracts the heat and distributes it throughout the house. In cooling mode, the heat pump functions like an air conditioner, extracting heat from the home and releasing it underground. In many systems, like Burnside’s, some of that excess heat is routed through another heat exchanger called a desuperheater to produce domestic hot water.

Not Just for New Homes
Retrofits account for about 70% of the geothermal installations done by Michigan Energy Services, the company that installed Burnside’s system. The easiest retrofits tap into existing forced-air systems, according to vice president Rob Derksen. Costs range from $18,000 to about $30,000, depending on site conditions and the extent of modifications required. Although geothermal is often used in conjunction with radiant-floor heating, the water it produces is not hot enough to make it compatible with hydronic baseboard systems. In that case, forced-air ductwork is usually added.

Geo-Boost
The 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act created a federal tax credit of up to $2000 for homeowners who install geothermal heat-pump systems. In addition, many electric utilities offer rebates or discounted electric rates to customers with geothermal systems; Burnside’s system qualifies his house for a rate that’s 50% lower. For a state-bystate listing of renewable-energy incentives, including geothermal, visit www.dsireusa.org.

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
View PDF

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Mortar for Old Masonry

Old masonry may look tough, but the wrong mortar can destroy it—here's how to choose the right mix for lasting repairs.

Featured Video

Builder’s Advocate: An Interview With Viewrail

Learn more about affordable, modern floating stairs, from design to manufacturing to installation.

Related Stories

  • Old House Air-Sealing Basics
  • A Drip-Free, Through-Window Heat Pump
  • An Impressive Air-to-Water Heat Pump
  • From Victorian to Mid-Century Modern: How Unico Fits Any Older Home

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All Videos
  • A Drip-Free, Through-Window Heat Pump
  • An Impressive Air-to-Water Heat Pump
  • FHB Podcast Segment: Are Single-Room ERVs the Answer?
  • FHB Podcast Segment: Finding the Right Fixer-Upper
View All

Energy Efficiency

View All Energy Efficiency Articles
  • FHB Podcast Segment: Finding the Right Fixer-Upper
  • Right-Sized Gas Furnace
  • Outdoor Lighting
View All Energy Efficiency Articles

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 332 - July 2025
    • Custom Built-ins With Job-Site Tools
    • Fight House Fires Through Design
    • Making the Move to Multifamily
  • Issue 331 - June 2025
    • A More Resilient Roof
    • Tool Test: You Need a Drywall Sander
    • Ducted vs. Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 330 - April/May 2025
    • Deck Details for Durability
    • FAQs on HPWHs
    • 10 Tips for a Long-Lasting Paint Job
  • Old House Journal – August 2025
    • Designing the Perfect Garden Gate
    • Old House Air-Sealing Basics
  • Issue 329 - Feb/Mar 2025
    • Smart Foundation for a Small Addition
    • A Kominka Comes West
    • Making Small Kitchens Work

Fine Home Building

Newsletter Sign-up

  • Fine Homebuilding

    Home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox.

  • Green Building Advisor

    Building science and energy efficiency advice, plus special offers, in your inbox.

  • Old House Journal

    Repair, renovation, and restoration tips, plus special offers, in your inbox.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters

Follow

  • Fine Homebuilding

    Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
    • LinkedIn
  • GBA Prime

    Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • Old House Journal

    Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

    Subscribe Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
  • Fine Homebuilding

    Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
    • LinkedIn
  • GBA Prime

    Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • Old House Journal

    Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

    Subscribe Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2025 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.

Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Project Guides
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Online Learning

  • Courses
  • Project Guides
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • X
  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in