Testimonials

excellent!!
"All I can say is excellent!! Not only does my Geothermal system work great, but it is like a showcase in my home! I show it to everyone!"
- Jeff Cloutier, Milton NH

true professionals
"Ultra Geothermal and his men installed my HVAC system in my home like true professionals. My home was very difficult because of it’s age and is very limited to where duct runs could go without doing excessive finish work to box everything in. Darren Rice looked everything over thoroughly and came up with brilliant ideas for making this system work with minimal finish work. I’m very please with the systems operation and workmanship. I had contacted numerous companies to come over and look at my system and none of them had the ideas that Ultra and Darren Rice did!
"
- Fred Ferrara, Billerica MA

new system
"Ultra Geothermal converted my duplex home from electric to baseboard heating to a forced air heating & cooling system with multiple zones. The price they gave me was very reasonable and I’m very pleased with the work and the performance of my new system. I would refer their services to anyone interested in any type of a heating & cooling system."

- Dann Nicolosi, North Andover, MA

knowledge
"I called Ultra because they were referred to me by a local contractor in the area. I wanted to convert my hot water system in my home to gas with air originally, but Darren from Ultra talked to me about a geothermal system. Darren explained to me in detail how this earth system works and I was very impressed with his knowledge of the system. It made me feel confident hiring him and his company to convert my home. I have now experienced all seasons with the geothermal system and now I can say to anyone that geothermal systems work extremely well and are very cost effective."
- Chuck Moncoux, Alton, NH

Ultra is by far the best company
"I have been a contractor for over 20 years now on my own and now for a very reputable builder in the lakes region of New Hampshire. I have worked with many HVAC companies over the years and Ultra is by far the best company I have every worked with. They have been there through all my needs and they can do anything HVAC related and do it well. They have never let me down!"
- Eric Ruben, Hillsborough, NH

Immediate Savings
“The EPA has published reports saying that geothermal is the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient system available. The average operating cost for heat, hot water and air conditioning is at least a 50 percent savings over a code-built home with fossil  fuels. Responsibly installed, these systems are also extremely quiet and comfortable.”
- Mike McQueeney, Public Service of New Hampshire

Excellent Work
“Ultra’s installer did excellent work...I would recommend geothermal heating to anyone building an Energy Smart home.”
- Joseph Grant,  Homeowner in Londonderry, N.H.

Right the First Time
“WEDI provides extensive design support for all of Ultra’s projects. Proper installation saves homeowners money – and Ultra Geothermal does the job right.”
- Martin Orio, WEDI

Expertise and Great Service
“I would recommend Ultra to anyone who is interested in geothermal installation. Ultra provided excellent service, both during the installation and during follow-up calls.”
- Peter Costa, Virtuous Construction

Effective & Efficient
“Ultra works within my schedule, does a thorough job, and stands behind its name and its products. They have constantly tried to go out and find products that are both cost effective and energy efficient.”
- Valerie Tobin, Builder, Skyline Industries

 

Tools

Geothermal vs Conventional Heating and Cooling

When your geothermal system is installed and operating, you have a fully integrated, single-source home energy system. There is no tank to fill and only one energy bill to pay. A single unit provides both heating and cooling. And, you have the peace of mind that comes from a totally combustion-free home.

Savings Intro

To compare heating systems (apples to apples) you need a common denominator. We have choosen to use "1 million BTUs" because many homes use between 45,000 - 85,000 BTUs per hour on a very cold winter day, which is just over a million BTUs per day (about 125,000,000 BTUs per year).

Because each system uses a different fuel type we need to know how many BTUs a unit of fuel contains (A). Then, using efficiency ratings of each system (B), you can calculate the number of units required to create 1 million BTUs (C), which is used to compare costs (see calculator/next tab).

   
A
B
C
Fuel Type
Fuel Unit
BTU/Unit
Heating System
Efficiency
Units Required
1 million BTU

#2 Fuel Oil

Gallon
138,000
65%
78%
84%
92%
11.15
9.29
8.63
7.88
Natural Gas
Therm
100,000
65%
78%
84%
92%
16.7
14.3
12.5
11.1
Propane
Gallon
90,000
65%
78%
84%
92%
17.5
15.0
13.1
11.6
Electric
Baseboard
kWh
3,413
100%
293
Air Source
Heat Pump
kWh
3,413
293 / 2.5 COP (Warm Climate)
293 / 1.8 COP (Cold Climate)

117.20
162.78

Geothermal Heat Pump
kWh
3,413
293 / 3.9 COP (Warm Climate)
293 / 3.4 COP (Cold Climate)
293 / 4.2 COP (Hydronic)
 75.13
86.18
69.76

Heat Pump efficiency is measured as Coefficient of Performance (COP). For instance a baseboard electric heater has a COP of 1 (it is 100% efficient). Geothermal Heat Pumps in the Northeast have COPs of 3.4 or higher (depending on system design and performance).

How to Use This Calculator

To generate 1,000,000 BTUs simply enter the units required and the cost per unit of fuel.

Type of Fuel
Units Required per M
From Col C (previous tab)
Price per Gallon
of Fuel or kWh
 
Cost per Million
BTUs ($)
Fuel Oil #2
Natural Gas
Propane Gas
Electric
Resistance
Air Source HP
Water to Air Geothermal HP