Why We Started Cool Down
A story of cutting energy bills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions for families
The team at Cool Down has been involved in climate tech for a long time. Our team comes from backgrounds in sustainable building science, photovoltaic solar, and residential geothermal.
At Cool Down we set out with a simple mission: to provide the world's best home cooling solution. As global temperatures rise, more and more people use central air systems to cool their homes.
Central air systems are expensive to install. And because of the large amount of electricity they consume, they're expensive to operate. Lastly, they create a tremendous amount of greenhouse gas emissions during the summer months.
Consumers want better solutions to the issues associated with central air systems. Many have turned to rooftop solar to help reduce the cost of the electricity needed to cool their home. Others have looked to residential geothermal for a more efficient cooling solution that uses less electricity.
Residential solar and geothermal are great. They save homeowners money and reduce pollution by providing cleaner, more sustainable energy. Though these solutions make significant steps in the right direction, we knew there was lots of room for improvement.
Residential geothermal systems generally cost over $30,000 after incentives. The system will typically pay for itself in 10 to 15 years with reduced energy costs for the homeowner. The high price point and relatively long payback period places residential geothermal out of the reach of most homeowners. It's a similar equation for residential solar.
Residential geothermal and solar also involve highly disruptive installation processes for the homeowner. In addition to days of on-site install work, both technologies involve extensive system design and permitting with your local municipality.
We knew there had to be a better way.
From our knowledge of the geothermal business we knew that a residential geothermal system involves the installation of an expensive ground loop a short distance below the frost line, where temperatures are a constant ~50 degrees fahrenheit all year long. This vertical or horizontal ground loop spans hundreds of feet, and its sole purpose is to provide ample surface area for the ground to exchange heat energy with a refrigerant fluid that flows the loop. Through our knowledge of the industry, we realized that ~56 million homes in the United States are built with a basement that's already situated below the frost line, and has a surface area that’s greater than that of most geothermal ground loops. Armed with this knowledge, and the knowledge that basements are inherently cool in the summer months we set out to create a cooling solution that takes advantage of this phenomenon.
Cool Down uses the cold temperatures in your basement to cool your home, significantly reducing the workload on your central air system. It uses a heat exchanger system so no air from your basement is circulated through your home. Heat from your house is dispersed into the Earth naturally and geothermally through your basement using minimal energy.
Cool Down also has a very affordable price point so it pays for itself in just a few years by reducing your electric bill dramatically. Cool Down can also be used as a stand-alone home cooling system that provides cooling without the need for a traditional central air system.
The very affordable price point makes Cool Down accessible to virtually every homeowner. Our mission is to help as many of the 56 million homeowners in the United States with basements as possible, save money on their cooling bills, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions associated with cooling.
Interested in learning more about our story? Give us a call at 845-419-3361or schedule a time to chat with us using the button below.
