Case Study: Prior Residence, Enfield, CT

The Project:

The 2,100 square foot Cape Cod style home in Enfield, CT relied on fuel oil for heating and hot water. Given the volatile oil prices and inefficient thirty-year-old furnace, they recognized the opportunity to make the leap to green energy and gain freedom from oil prices.  During the last winter the Priors bought oil, heating oil prices topped $3.85 a gallon (US Energy Information Administration).

Once the Priors decided to make the switch, the entire installation process lasted only five weeks. The work focused in the basement, where the team of geothermal experts installed the air handler and geothermal assembly unit.

The Results:

The system successfully heated the home throughout its first winter without any auxiliary heating. The family’s confidence in the system’s performance motivated them to shut off the old oil tank and hot water heater.

Prior reports minimal maintenance: “All I have to do is change the filters every six months – much less work than writing a check to the oil company each month.” In the first twelve months, the Priors cut their annual heating costs by 82%: from $3,300 to $583. Because their new system also includes central air capabilities, this extremely low number also includes cooling and dehumidification.

The Priors benefited from both federal and state incentive programs, which offset their initial investment:

• Federal tax incentive: In 2008, when the Prior’s system reached completion, the federal government offered a tax credit of 30% of total installation costs, with a maximum benefit of $2,000. As of January 2009, the benefit limit has been eliminated, so 30% of the entire installation cost qualifies for the tax credit.
• Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund: A rebate of $500 per ton, this translated to $1,500 for the Prior’s three-ton system.

As of December 2009, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund awards qualified Connecticut homeowners a rebate of $2,000 per ton for retrofit projects, up to $12,000.