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History

A geothermal system is sometimes referred to as a geothermal heat pump, a ground source heat pump, or green heat. These innovative heating and cooling systems have been commercially available for approximately 10 years, but the idea behind the technology is thousands of years in the making.

Archaeological evidence shows that the first use of geothermal resources in North America occurred more than 10,000 years ago. Then, in 1948, a professor at Ohio State University, Carl Neilson, developed the first ground-source heat pump for use at his home, and J.D. Krocker, an engineer in Portland, Oregon, pioneered the first groundwater heat pump for use in a commercial building.
Since those early developments, engineers and manufacturers have continually improved and refined the technology. The geothermal systems of today are reliable, highly efficient and low-maintenance; reducing utility costs on average as much as 25 to 40% and up to 70% over conventional systems. There are now more than one million installations in the U.S.—and every year demand for geothermal increases by more than 20% as more people discover the benefits of this environmentally-beneficial technology.