Construction underway at Norton Commons for largest geothermal community in US

Construction is underway for the largest geothermal residential community in the United States, inside Norton Commons.

Mobile Video

The development is building 1,800 homes using special geothermal heating and cooling, which makes use of the earth's natural temperature to keep homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

"The earth will maintain a constant 52 degrees so we're running that pipe down 400 feet, two holes manifold that pipe together and bring it into the house," said Jay Kaiser, director of sales and marketing for Corken Steel Product Company.

The geothermal system connects to a unit inside the house that builders say is quieter than the traditional air conditioner or furnace.

For new homes, it costs the builder about $18,000 to install this system, with a possible tax credit of 30 percent for the buyer. But Norton Commons anticipates significant savings on utility bills.

"You can save anywhere from 65 and 80 percent on your utility bills," Kaiser said.

That means if it usually costs $200 per month to heat a home, this system could slash that to as low as $40.

"It taps into renewable energy and therefore is green, and Norton Commons is well versed in green initiatives," said Marilyn Osborn Patterson, marketing director at Norton Commons.

"Our homeowners are excited, our prospective homeowners are very excited but also we've gotten a lot of positive feedback regionally and nationally too."

See more here:
Construction underway at Norton Commons for largest geothermal community in US