Government

The Problem: fossil fuel costs are borne by the state, the economy and the environment

Governmental and institutional buildings are primarily dependent upon fossil fuels as their energy source for water heating, whether they use natural gas or electricity that is generated by fossil energy. These fuels are expensive, prices are unstable and rising, and they emit greenhouse gases.

The budgets of many state and local governments are heavily dependent upon lodging, hospitality and healthcare, each of which uses large amounts of energy. Lodging industry energy consumption for water heating is 42% of its total usage, restaurants 32% and health care is 18%. Governments directly bear the cost to heat water in universities, prisons, hospitals, military facilities, subsidized healthcare and public housing.

There are over 650 nursing homes in Florida, alone. The State Medicaid program reimburses approved nursing home operators a proportionate share of their utility bills without any incentive to save energy and the environment. The budgets for most of these institutions include funds for high energy costs but provide no incentive to save energy or reduce emissions from fossil fuel firing.

The Solution: renewable energy and energy efficiency

Energy efficiency and renewable energy are the cleanest, most economic and most readily available energy resources. To reduce costs, fight climate change and become energy-independent, every means available must be utilized.

The Earth provides a vast renewable energy resource beneath our feet. Energy from the sun is stored in the shallow earth and is available every hour of the year to heat and cool buildings and heat water for large users, regardless of the time of day, clouds or ambient temperature. This is indigenous energy that does not have to be purchased or transported and it is non-polluting.

The U.S. EPA conducted a 15-month test of an EarthLinked® Heat Pump Commercial Water Heating system in a nursing home. The report verifies that the system saved 75% of the electrical energy that is otherwise required for electric water heating. EPA determined that by reducing fossil fuel firing, the EarthLinked system avoids the emission of 7,100 pounds of carbon dioxide and 15 pounds of nitrous oxide per ton of heat pump capacity each year—which is 42,600 pounds of carbon and 90 pounds of nitrous oxide by a single 6-ton system annually. That is equivalent to not burning 3,642 gallons of gasoline or 74 barrels of oil annually.

EarthLinked® systems are saving energy in 41 states and 14 countries

Because they can use solar energy from the shallow earth anywhere, anytime, they are cost effective and require no subsidies. EarthLinked systems present a significant opportunity for saving energy costs, fossil fuel dependency and greenhouse gas emissions.

Governments can save money, reduce emissions and set a positive example by using clean technologies in their facilities and by providing shared savings incentives to service providers that implement energy saving systems.