~400%
Efficiency — vs 78–95% for gas
Why geothermal
Vancouver, Lower Mainland & Fraser Valley
Heating & cooling
that pays you back.
For decades.
A few feet down, the ground holds a steady 10–15°C all year. Geothermal turns that constant into the most reliable comfort system your building will ever own — one quiet system that heats in winter, cools in summer, and runs for a fraction of what a furnace and AC cost.
✓~400% efficient — 3 to 5 units of comfort per unit of power
✓60–75% real-world energy reduction on our projects
✓Up to $20,000 in CleanBC rebates
✓20+ years of BC geothermal design & installation
60–75%
Real-world energy reduction
50+ yrs
Buried loop service life
01 —The honest case
One of the few investments that
pays you back from day one.
You've probably heard geothermal called "the efficient option" and left it there. The real story is more interesting — and it starts with your monthly cash flow, not the environment.
If you're planning a new build, weighing an upgrade, or thinking about a retrofit, this page lays out the honest case: what geothermal actually is, why it wins on comfort, cost, and longevity, and how the decision differs for a home, a commercial building, or a retrofit. West Coast Geothermal has spent more than 20 years designing and installing these systems across British Columbia — and we'll tell you plainly where geothermal is the right call and where it isn't.
// Key takeaways
- It's the most efficient way to heat and cool a building. A ground source heat pump delivers roughly 3–5 units of heating or cooling per unit of electricity — around 400% efficiency, versus 78–95% for even a good gas furnace.
- It improves cash flow, not just the environment. Real-world energy reductions of 60–75% mean the system offsets a meaningful share of its cost through lower bills, year after year.
- It lasts. The indoor heat pump runs 20–25 years; the buried ground loop is rated for 50+ years and often outlives the building itself.
- One system, both jobs. Geothermal heats and cools — quietly, with no outdoor condenser and no combustion.
- BC rebates are substantial. Ground source systems can qualify for up to $20,000 through CleanBC Better Homes, with additional stacking available.
- The design matters more than the brand. A correctly sized loop and load calculation separate a system that delivers from one that disappoints.
02 —The basics
It doesn't make heat.
It moves it.
Geothermal — also called ground source — works on the same principle as the heat pump in your fridge, just at building scale. It never fights the brutal extremes that make air-based equipment work hardest exactly when you need it most.
In winter, it draws warmth from the stable ground and concentrates it indoors. In summer, it runs in reverse — pulling heat out of your building and depositing it back into the cool earth. Because the ground stays at a steady temperature year-round, the hardest-working components sit protected indoors, shielded from rain, salt air, and freeze-thaw. That's a big reason geothermal heat pumps routinely reach 20–25 years while the loop underground is rated for half a century or more.
PART 01
The ground loop
Buried piping that exchanges heat with the earth — vertical boreholes for tight or urban sites, horizontal loops where there's land. Rated for 50+ years and, once in, completely invisible.
PART 02
The heat pump
A unit the size of a furnace that sits in a mechanical room and concentrates the heat the loop collects. No flame, no exhaust, no outdoor unit humming beside the building.
PART 03
The distribution
How the comfort reaches you — often radiant floors, sometimes ducting or fan coils. The even, draft-free warmth of radiant is hard to describe until you've lived in it.
03 — Comfort · Cost · Longevity
The advantages don't
add up. They stack.
The case for geothermal isn't a single headline number. It's the way several advantages compound on top of each other over the entire life of the building.
~400%
Coefficient of performance of 3–5 — the most efficient heating & cooling technology available, per the U.S. Department of Energy.
60–75%
Real-world energy reduction on the projects we've delivered — a bill cut to a fraction of gas-plus-AC.
1 system
Heats and cools from a single system — no separate furnace and air conditioner to buy, run, or replace.
50+ yrs
Ground-loop life. The indoor unit runs 20–25 years; the loop frequently outlives the building it serves.
EfficiencyChanges your operating cost
A geothermal heat pump delivers three to five units of heating or cooling per unit of electricity it draws — around 400% efficiency. Even a high-end condensing gas furnace tops out near 95%. For a home, that's a bill cut to a fraction of gas-plus-AC; for a commercial building, a line item that shrinks every month for decades.
ComfortSteady, not blasts
Geothermal delivers warmth and cooling gently and continuously rather than in on-off blasts. Paired with radiant floors it produces an even, draft-free warmth — no cold corners, no dry air being blown around, no outdoor unit roaring to life at 6 a.m.
One systemBoth jobs
A furnace heats; an AC cools; geothermal does both — simplifying your mechanical room, your maintenance, and your replacement planning. As Lower Mainland summers get warmer, "I'll add AC later" is becoming "I wish this already cooled."
LongevityOutlives its alternatives
A gas furnace lasts perhaps 15–20 years; an AC, 12–15. A geothermal system's indoor unit runs 20–25 years and its ground loop is rated for 50+. You're not buying comfort for a decade — you're building it into the property.
04 —Where you start matters
New build, upgrade,
or retrofit.
Geothermal makes sense in all three scenarios — but the economics and the process differ. The single most important step in every one is an honest feasibility assessment up front.
01New build★ IDEAL
Designed in from
the start.
Why it fits
The ideal case. Loop and distribution are designed in from day one — often at lower incremental cost than retrofitting later. Radiant floors integrate cleanly.
What to plan for
Engage a designer early — before foundation and site work are locked in — so the loop field is coordinated with the rest of the project.
02Upgrade / replacement
The natural moment
to switch.
Why it fits
Replacing an aging furnace and AC at end of life is the natural moment — you're already spending on mechanical, so compare lifetime cost, not just upfront.
What to plan for
Confirm electrical capacity and where the loop can go. Existing ducting or hydronic distribution may be reusable.
03Retrofit
Strong fit for the
long haul.
Why it fits
A strong fit for buildings staying in place for years and facing high heating bills or a looming equipment replacement.
What to plan for
Site access for the loop and integration with existing distribution drive feasibility — this is where expert assessment earns its keep.
Lot size, soil, building load, and distribution all shape whether geothermal is right — and how the loop should be designed. That's a conversation, not a guess.
Start with an assessment →05 —For homes
A premium comfort system
that pays you back.
Radiant-floor warmth, whole-home cooling, near-silent operation, and dramatically lower bills — exactly what high-end homeowners are after, and what sophisticated buyers increasingly look for.
Geothermal isn't right for every home. Very tight urban lots, certain bylaws, and short ownership horizons can change the math — and we'll tell you when that's the case rather than sell you a system you won't get full value from.
A couple building a custom home in South Surrey compared a high-efficiency gas furnace plus central air against geothermal. It cost more up front — but with energy use cut by roughly two-thirds and a meaningful CleanBC rebate, their projected monthly operating cost dropped sharply, and radiant floors throughout sealed the decision. Fifteen years on, the gas system would be nearing replacement; their ground loop will still be decades from it.
The comfort sealed it — the math made it easy06 —Commercial, institutional & community
At scale, the advantage
compounds.
Offices, schools, multi-unit residential, community facilities, and institutional campuses all run large, predictable loads — exactly where a 60–75% reduction in energy use becomes a major, durable operating saving.
Geothermal also aligns directly with the net-zero and emissions targets that increasingly govern commercial and institutional projects. With no on-site combustion, a geothermal building eliminates heating emissions at the source — supporting green building certifications and future-proofing against tightening carbon regulation. For developers and owners, that's both a marketing advantage and a hedge against rising carbon costs.
A community building manager facing the end-of-life replacement of aging boilers and rooftop AC isn't choosing between geothermal and "doing nothing" — they're already going to spend on mechanical. The real comparison is decades of high fossil-fuel operating cost versus a system that slashes those bills and qualifies for incentive programs. Framed that way, geothermal frequently wins on lifetime cost. Our commercial and community geothermal work is built around exactly these authority-grade, net-zero outcomes.
07 — Investment, savings & rebates
It costs more to install.
We won't pretend otherwise.
A turnkey residential install typically runs $25,000–$60,000+ depending on loop type, building size, and distribution. What changes the picture is everything that happens after install.
Gas furnace + AC
Geothermal
Cumulative savings
Illustrative — actual crossover depends on your building, loop type & the system replaced.
Operating savings — every month
Cutting heating and cooling energy by 60–75% offsets a meaningful share of the system cost over its life. Unlike the install, those savings recur for 20+ years.
Substantial rebates
Ground source systems can qualify for up to $20,000 through CleanBC Better Homes, with additional utility and program stacking available in BC. Confirm current details through the Better Homes BC rebate listings — we help clients navigate them as part of the project.
A longer runway
Because the system lasts far longer than what it replaces, the lifetime cost comparison looks very different from the sticker comparison. Detailed system design and load calculations (valued ~$2,500) are included in a proper package.
$25–60k+
Typical turnkey residential install, by loop type & building size
$20k
Up to, through CleanBC Better Homes — with stacking available
≈ 10 yrs
Where cumulative operating cost typically crosses over
08 —Side by side
Gas vs air source
vs geothermal.
Geothermal doesn't win every row — but the rows it wins are the ones that matter for decades, not just at purchase.
| Gas furnace+ AC | Air sourceheat pump | Geothermalground source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heats & cools? | Two systems | Yes | Yes |
| Operating efficiency | 78–95% (heat) | ~250–350% | ~400% (COP 3–5) |
| Outdoor unit? | Yes (AC condenser) | Yes | No |
| On-site emissions | Yes — combustion | None | None |
| Equipment lifespan | 15–20 / 12–15 yrs | 12–15 yrs | 20–25 yr unit / 50+ yr loop |
| Comfort | On-off cycling, dry air | Steady; varies in deep cold | Steadiest, radiant-ready |
This is an investment in the building, not a draining capital line — and for many owners the improved monthly cash flow is the whole point.
09 —Why the installer matters more than the brand
Unforgiving of shortcuts.
Generous to good engineering.
An undersized loop or a sloppy load calculation can turn a 400%-efficient technology into a disappointment. Every advantage on this page depends on the system being designed correctly.
01 — FOCUS
20+ years specializing.
Geothermal and water source systems are the core of the business — not a sideline. We work on the systems other contractors refer out.
02 — PARTNER
WaterFurnace & Climatemaster.
Authorized partner of two of the most respected names in the industry — full product access, parts, and factory-backed support.
03 — ENGINEERING
In-house design.
Precise heat-load calculations, geological site assessment, and hydronic design tailored to your building — done in-house, not subbed out.
04 — WARRANTY
5-year parts warranty.*
A 5-year refrigeration parts warranty on properly commissioned systems — the expensive components covered.
05 — INTEGRITY
Documented honesty.
Our reviews consistently describe honest advice and owner-level problem solving — including free phone troubleshooting — rather than the fastest sale.
06 — BOUNDARIES
We don't do everything.
No fossil-fuel furnaces or boilers, and no open-loop systems where bylaws prohibit them. When geothermal isn't the right fit, we'll tell you.
10 —Coverage
Geothermal across
the Lower Mainland.
Planning a project just outside this list? Reach out anyway — we routinely take on larger residential and commercial work beyond our core area.
Greater VancouverVancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North & West Vancouver
Tri-CitiesCoquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody
South of the FraserSurrey, Langley, Delta, Tsawwassen
Fraser ValleyAbbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission
Expansion zonesWhistler, Pemberton, the Sunshine Coast
11 —Frequently asked
Real questions about
geothermal.
If yours isn't here, call us. We're happy to talk through your specific site, load, and timeline before you book anything.
— 01
Why choose geothermal over a regular heat pump or furnace?
+
Geothermal exchanges heat with the stable ground rather than the outdoor air, so it runs at roughly 400% efficiency year-round, isn't affected by cold snaps, has no outdoor unit, and lasts far longer — the indoor unit 20–25 years and the loop 50+. It costs more up front but typically delivers the lowest lifetime cost and the steadiest comfort.
— 02
How much can geothermal actually save on energy?
+
On our projects, real-world energy reductions land in the 60–75% range versus conventional heating and cooling. The exact figure depends on the building, the system it replaces, and how it's used — which is what a feasibility assessment determines.
— 03
Is geothermal worth it for a retrofit, or only new builds?
+
Both work. New builds are the cleanest case because the loop and distribution are designed in from the start. Retrofits can be excellent for buildings staying in place for years, especially when an aging furnace and AC are due for replacement — the key variables are loop access and integration with existing distribution.
— 04
What rebates are available for geothermal in BC?
+
Ground source systems can qualify for up to $20,000 through CleanBC Better Homes, with additional stacking possible. Programs and eligibility change, so confirm current details through Better Homes BC — and we help clients navigate the applications as part of the project.
— 05
Does geothermal work for commercial and institutional buildings?
+
Yes, and the efficiency advantage compounds at scale. Larger, predictable loads mean bigger operating savings, and the zero on-site emissions support net-zero targets and green certifications — which is why geothermal is a strong fit for offices, schools, multi-unit residential, and community facilities.
— The bottom line.
It keeps rewarding you
long after it's installed.
Geothermal asks for more up front and pays it back in the currency that matters most over a building's life: lower bills every month, steadier comfort every day, fewer replacements every decade, and emissions you've eliminated rather than offset.
We design & install
Residential · Commercial · Community geothermal
Partners
WaterFurnace & Climatemaster
Coverage
Lower Mainland & Fraser Valley
12 —Get in touch
Is geothermal right
for your project?
The honest answer always comes down to your specific site, load, and timeline. That's exactly what we assess — clearly, and without a sales pitch. One short form, same-day callback before 4pm.
Honest feasibility — not a pitchWe'll tell you plainly where geothermal is the right call and where it isn't.
Clear answers before
you spend thousands.
Three minutes. We'll come back to you with the right next step.