BY ROD HANSEN

As fossil fuel costs rise to unprecedented levels, one local business hopes to curb some of its electrical expenses through the use of geothermal technology.

With a new facility expected to open in August, longtime downtown fixture Goffstown Ace Hardware will heat and cool the building using an eco-friendly temperature control system.

The system controls room temperature by extracting energy from 100 feet in the ground, said Goffstown Ace Hardware owner Larry Brown. The equipment, produced by ECR Technologies of Lakeland, Fla., will cool the building in the summer and heat it in the winter without burning any fossil fuels, Brown said.

“On an ongoing basis, our heating and cooling costs are going to be much lower,” Brown said.

“We’re not going to be burning fossil fuels or contributing to global warming concerns.”

Brown found out about the geothermal technology from Mike McQueeney, a Goffstown resident and program administrator for PSNH energy efficiency services.

McQueeney oversees a PSNH program offering rebates to homeowners and businesses who use geothermal technology.

The idea of introducing the store to geothermal technology came when McQueeney saw plans for the Goffstown Hardware expansion project on a wall in the business’s current location.

Although plans for the new hardware building called for fuel-efficient heating and air conditioning equipment, the new system will save the business an average of $1,000 a month, McQueeney said.

“We’re excited things were able to come together with Goffstown Hardware, and they’ll be going geothermal with their new building,” McQueeney said.

Although still fairly novel in the world of temperature control, geothermal systems are finding a growing market among businesses and homeowners, McQueeney said.

For example, he said the Merrimack County Nursing Home is using geothermal technology in its new 300,000-square-foot facility.

“More and more consumers are approaching us and saying, ‘We’d like to look at what our options are for controlling fossil fuel costs,’” McQueeney said.

Along with embracing Earth-friendly technology in its heating and air conditioning system, Goffstown Ace Hardware is also making environmentally conscious products available to consumers.

Items to be carried in the expanded store include organic and all-natural brands of pet food, cleaning supplies, lawn and garden products, and fertilizers. The store will also offer energy-efficient household products such as thermostats and replacement bulbs.

“To be honest with you, we and other companies have always made an effort to offer natural products. That’s something that’s becoming more popular,” Brown said.