Yes, a geothermal heat system is a great energy-efficient way to heat and cool your home. In addition to energy savings, these systems offer another convenient benefit: radiant floor heating. What some may think of as a luxury, it’s easy to warm your floors with radiant heating when you have a geothermal system in place at home.

With a geothermal heat system, a hydronic radiant floor heating system can easily be added on. Hydronic systems use hot water to carry heat to areas within your home. A network of piping is laid below floors, and can even be used outdoors to melt snow off sidewalks and driveways.

Radiant floor heating is a great comfort feature to add in combination with geothermal heat systems. Imagine your feet hitting a nice, warm floor in the winter! These systems are also perfect for warming up cool tile flooring in kitchens and baths. When used with geothermal heating systems, radiant floor heating costs very little to operate.

With a geothermal heat system and radiant floor system in place, you’ll want to choose the right floor coverings to conduct the heat properly. The most common floor covering to use with radiant floor heating is ceramic tile, because this material conducts heat well and provides additional thermal storage. Other flooring materials such as vinyl, linoleum, and wood can be effective, but you’ll want to choose a material with minimal insulation. Carpet, for instance, is often thicker and includes a thick pad; to use carpet with radiant floor heating, choose a thinner carpet and dense pad for better results.

When installing a geothermal heat system, think of the additional comfort and benefit a hydronic radiant floor heating system can provide your family. Practical and convenient, these systems can be easily added to your geothermal heat system installation. Call Smith Sustainable Design for more details.

Whether your home has a solar power energy system or not, you can have access to backup power anytime by using a battery backup for your home. Power outages are common during summer storms, and can leave your home without power for lights and essential systems if your home uses grid utility power or if you do not have a battery backup to store excess solar power energy produced by your system.

With a battery backup, you can power your home’s devices in the event of an electrical utility outage or lack of solar power energy. With a backup battery system, essential appliances and devices still receive the power they need, even when your primary electrical power supply is interrupted. Backup batteries are perfect for homes with and without solar power energy systems.

• A battery backup can optimize your home’s photovoltaic system by providing a reliable source of power when you need it.
  
• If your home is not equipped with a solar power energy system, you can benefit from a battery backup system and access the power you need whenever your electrical utility power fails.
  

Many times, electrical outages don’t last long, but when they do, they pose serious risks to your household. When you are left without power, your family is vulnerable in many ways. A backup battery system for your solar power energy system or your home’s electrical utility power gives your family the ability to communicate and stay safe in the event of an outage.

• Charge your cell phone to stay in communication with family members and emergency services.
  
• Power essential equipment such as medical devices.
  
• Keep lights on so your family can move about safely.
  
• Keep your refrigerator running to prevent food spoilage.
  

A battery backup is a great resource for any home, with our without a solar power energy system. Smith Sustainable Design provides reliable installation for these systems to homeowners and businesses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. For more information about battery backup systems, please contact us.