National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Learning About Renewable Energy

Geothermal Heat Pumps for Homeowners

Photo of a house in Texas.

This home in Texas has a geothermal heat pump system, which reduces energy costs by half as much as a conventional HVAC system.

The following resources will help you install a geothermal heat pump in your home. If you are unfamiliar with this technology, see the introduction to geothermal heat pumps.

General Information

U.S. Department of Energy Consumer's Guide: Geothermal Heat Pumps
Features comprehensive basic information and resources.

Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium
Provides a lot of information on geothermal heat pumps for homes, including case studies, brochures, heating system comparisons, and a list of manufacturers.

International Ground Source Heat Pump Association
Has basic information about ground source heat pumps, and a business directory of accredited installers and designers by state.

An Information Survival Kit for the Prospective Geothermal Heat Pump Owner (PDF 450 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
Describes several different types of geothermal heat pumps and their capabilities, describes how to find and evaluate contractors, and answers many common questions about geothermal heat pumps.

Financing

Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy
Provides information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy.