1/14/2009 1:28:00 PM Tapping into the Earth's energy Local couple to use energy-efficient geothermal system for home
Bruce Walker, owner of Wisconsin Well & Water Systems, LLC, gets a little wet behind the ear while attempting to drill holes (wells) for a geothermal system at the home of John and Jean Reiners, 808 W. Main St. A geothermal system uses the energy from the earth to heat and cool a home. Although up-front costs for a system are substantial, cost-savings are realized in monthly heating and cooling bills over time.
If you ask John Reiners about the big piece of machinery outside his home at 808 W. Main, he might stop, smile, and say, "I'm drilling for oil."
He's not, obviously, but after months of a project that seems to have no end in sight, the Reiners have turned to humor as a way to handle curiosity-seekers.
Last summer, after extensive research, Stoughton residents John and Jean Reiners decided to have a geothermal system installed at their home, primarily for its cost-effectiveness.
According to the Energy Information Administration, the word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). In simple terms, geothermal energy is heat continuously produced inside the earth (renewable energy).
Holes are drilled into the ground to resemble mini wells and flexible pipes are placed and looped through the holes. Steam and hot water produced inside the earth can be used to heat buildings or generate electricity when the air is pulled from deep in the ground and circulated into a business or residence. The same can be done in the summer for cooling purposes.
Because you are eliminating the need for propane - and using a natural, renewable energy (similar to solar power) - the average person can cut back on fuel costs.
Which is why, Reiners said, he looked into it in the first place.
"As I am slowly approaching retirement I've realized it's getting to the point our income level would drop to where we wouldn't be able to afford to heat and cool our home and garage," said Reiners. "I did some research on cost-saving measures, and although it's damn expensive at first, it (pays for itself) in 10-12 years," Reiners explained. "The savings we'd see from our monthly heating and cooling bills would offset the cost of having the system installed."
When the couple purchased their home in 1973 it was heated by oil. Twenty-two years ago they switched to natural gas. But some areas in the Reiners home - including an upstairs office John uses for work - have been left out in the cold, so-to-speak.
A friend of the Reiners has impressed upon the Reiners to make the switch to geothermal.
Last year the Reiners decided to do just that.
They started by installing a newer, energy-efficient furnace as the first step (with geothermal you are also required to have a backup system) and already have noticed their house is warmer, and, their monthly bill is down.
But the big cost savings won't be fully realized until the geothermal system is complete. When that is, the Reiners do not know.
"We received approval from the state on Aug. 20," said Joan. "We thought they'd start drilling at the end of September."
They also anticipated the system would be installed in time for the winter. No such luck.
According to Bruce Walker, owner of the Grand Marsh-based Wisconsin Well and Water Systems, LLC, who's had his drilling rig on the Reiners' property for the past couple of months, said typically he could do a similar job in two to three days. But equipment issues, early winter and "ground formations" have plagued the job from the start.
"This has definitely been a challenging scenario for me," admitted Walker. "A lot can't be predicted when you are dealing with ground formations. With this type of industry - drilling vertical geos, you are dealing with a lot of unknowns."
Walker said the biggest issue on the Reiners' property is drilling formations in this geographical area as well as a high water level.
"Everything was fine until we reached 140 feet, where we encountered crevice formations," Walker said.
The problem with crevice formations, he explained, is that it is hard to know how deep the crevice goes, "so you could have a wide-open hole that you could pour and pour cement into and it would never fill up," he said. "Imagine if you went to the beach and dug a hole around the water level . . . you know the sand always caves in around the hole."
In essence, he claims the ground he is dealing with is unstable and easily fills with groundwater.
Not to mention the logistics of a postage-size, corner lot Walker is working on. Because the lot is small, holes have to be drilled vertical and deeper. In places where land is abundant, the lines beneath are drilled vertical, but don't have to go as deep and then run horizontally.
The other problem he's encountered is the cold.
"Winter set in early and has affected us greatly," he said. "You're fighting the cold. You can put on a lot of clothes to protect yourself when it gets in the single digits, but one thing people don't realize is the equipment you are working with - pumps, vales, hoses, etc. . . . So you can start your day with a game plan but then everything freezes up."
In the mean time, the Reiners are still waiting for their cost savings to take effect, "so we can afford to live here into retirement," said John. "We're stuck between a rock and a hard place . . . we can't afford to heat this place (with conventional means) but we wouldn't be able to sell in this housing market, either."
The Reiners said they haven't actually heard many complaints about the rig, clearly visible from Main Street.
"Our neighbors are our friends - they don't complain about us and we don't complain about them," he said, matter-of-factly.
The Reiners still believe in what they are doing - despite feeling a little worse for the wear over the project.
"It's dumb not to in most cases," Walker said. "Typically (geothermal energy) is the least expensive and least maintenance-intensive heating and cooling system available to consumers. Even if you take nothing else into consideration, economically, it is a good idea."
Walker said "going green" is not only cost-effective in the long run, it's a way to leave a little less carbon footprint. And, he said, there are plenty of tax credits for going green.
When he will be finished with the job at the Reiners is still an unknown.
The Reiners, for their part, are wondering the same.
"My crystal ball is broken," Walker said, tongue-in-cheek. "In fact, it hasn't worked this whole job. But we'll be plugging away until we are finished."
"We truly have no idea when it will be done," said Joan. "We thought it would be done by the end of October in time for the heating season."
For now, though, John Reiners, a computer programmer with TDS Metrocom, said he is happy his house is a little warmer with the updated furnace, and even happier his late night calls for work that used to require him to practically "wear a coat" in his upstairs office now mean springing out of bed in only his underwear.
Just think of the possibilities when the system is finally installed.
