At Terra Caloric, our mission is simple: leverage the massive, free, renewable energy in groundwater and provide rural homeowners with an affordable system that allows them to heat and cool their homes for a fraction of what they’re currently spending.
With a Well-Connect® hybrid geothermal heat pump system, our friends and neighbors can count on smaller energy bills, a reduced carbon footprint and more comfortable homes, year-round.
Dennis Schultz next to a Well-Connect system
Our History
Terra Caloric, LLC was born out of the Timm Construction Company. Founded in 1948 by Emery Timm in Alpena, Michigan, the family-owned company installed oil and wood-burning furnaces in rural homes in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. In the decades since, the Timm Construction Company has built hundreds of commercial and residential structures, always with an eye towards energy efficiency.
In 2002, then-President Dennis Schultz (Emery Timm’s stepson) began researching geothermal energy to find a geothermal solution for homeowners that was affordable. His invention would go on to become what we now refer to as Well-Connect – a hybrid geothermal system.
Product Development:
The 80/20 Rule
The concept for Well-Connect was simple: use free, renewable energy from a well – but with a low water flow rate (roughly 75% less than other well-based geothermal systems), to supply most of a home’s heating needs (the 80/20 rule).
The 80/20 rule indicates the breakdown in heating supply. In most homes, Well-Connect will fulfill 80% of a home's heating needs while a traditional fuel (propane or wood) will serve as a supplement to Well-Connect on the coldest days of the year, approximately 20% of the time.
As a result, U.S. and Canadian patent offices awarded Terra Caloric patents for Well-Connect’s unique hybrid design, which combines low upfront cost with low annual operating costs.
The first Well-Connect system was installed in late 2011 in Alpena, Michigan, where it continues to operate efficiently today. Since that time, performance efficiencies of the Well-Connect system have climbed to over 500% (versus 300% initially).
In 2016, Dennis Schultz, the inventor of Well-Connect, was named Innovator of the Year as a part of the Governor’s Energy Excellence Awards.
Choose Well-Connect Hybrid
Geothermal Solutions
Today, an innovative staff of engineers, production associates and business development experts proudly manufacture and distribute Well-Connect heat pump systems from our factory and headquarters in Alpena, Michigan. It’s our desire to continue to bring innovative solutions to property owners throughout the US and Canada who are ready to put the renewable energy under their homes to work for them.
Ready to take the next step? Request information online or call (989) 356-2113 to see if
Well-Connect is the right fit for your home.