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Geothermal heat pumps are gaining popularity as an efficient option for heating and cooling homes, according to Jon Girod, a homebuilder based in Vancouver, Wash.

Girod has built homes for more than two decades, but he has spent the past four years exploring ways to incorporate green building practices into his projects. Geothermal heat pumps are one efficiency feature that Girod says is gaining traction among a wider swath of homeowners.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing how well this stuff works,鈥� he said. 鈥淏uyers of homes, especially on acreage, are really going for it.鈥�

is building an Earth Advantage platinum house in the Camellia subdivision in Battle Ground, Wash. The home鈥檚 heating, cooling and hot water will be supplied by ground-source heat pumps. Girod expects the system to save 20 to 30 percent in energy costs in the 3,400-square-foot home, which will be finished in June.

Geothermal heat pumps are similar to conventional heating pumps, except that they rely on below-ground air with nearly constant temperatures instead of outside air with fluctuating temperatures.

During the heating cycle, pipes buried in the ground will extract warmth from the soil and distribute it through a conventional duct system. Girod is using some of that heat energy to create a radiant floor system in the Camellia home.

In the cooling mode, heat will be extracted from the inside air and either moved back into the earth loop, or used to preheat the water in the hot water tank.

鈥淵ou can come up with tremendous savings, and the payback time is usually only a few years,鈥� Girod said.

鈥淕reen Spotlight鈥� is a weekly feature on local firms鈥� best sustainable projects. To submit a project, email [email protected] or call 503-802-7226.