In 2016, parts of the East coast have already seen record snowfall. Up to 30 inches fell this past weekend due to storm Jonas. With snowfall, comes snow shoveling. Shoveling snow can be an exhausting commitment taxing not only your musculoskeletal system, but your cardiovascular system and your mood as well. What happened to a hot cup of coco by the fire on a snow day?! The bitter reality of the snow laden work can be daunting.
Source Asit Parikh
One family in Paramus New Jersey has found away around this vigorous activity. The Pariku family uses a geothermal/solar snow- melt system. The Geothermal Resource Council describes geothermal energy as “heat derived from the earth.”
Source Asit Parikh
Over the course of a few days, more than two feet of snow had fallen in some parts of New Jersey. But one wouldn’t have realized this by looking at the Parikh’s driveway. Their geothermal system melted 1/2 an inch per hour. When the snowing was done, there was nothing to shovel.
Source Asit Parikh
The Pariku family home is eco-friendly and self-sufficient. As Asit Parikh stated “ we are using the environment to battle the environment.” The Paramus home captures rainwater all year and then uses a solar thermal system to heat it.
Source Asit Parikh
The water is then circulated through a network of heating pipes underneath the concrete in order to supply 100-degree water to the driveway and walkways of their home. The melted snow from the driveway and walkways is recycled and used for irrigation, laundry and toilet water.
Source Asit Parikh
So the next time your knee deep shoveling snow, remember if you have Geothermal heating you could be enjoying a cup of hot coco next to a fire while your neighbors are outside fighting the cold.