Geothermal 101

An Introduction to Geothermal Heat Pumps

An energy-efficient heating and cooling alternative, the geothermal heat pump system moves heat from the ground to a building (or from a building to the ground) through a series of flexible pipe “loops” containing water. Explores the benefits of Geothermal and the science behind how it all comes together.

Source:
Energy.Gov / Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy / Full Article

Benefits of a Geothermal Heating and Cooling System

The EPA of the United States suggests these systems as most eco-friendly, energy saving and money saving machines. There are many reasons they should be employed:

Geothermal benefits:

• Provides a combination of heating/cooling and hot water heating system
• Cut total energy consumption by 20 to 50%
• Greatly reduce maintenance costs
• Cuts overall energy costs by 40 to 70%
• Warmer air in the winter (90 -105° F) for more consistent temperature throughout your home, eliminating the hot and cold spots common with other systems
• All components are either buried in the ground or located inside the home
• No flame, flammable fuel or potentially dangerous fuel storage tanks
• The underground pipe carries up to a 50-year warranty (200+ year expected life)
• Very quiet — No noisy fan units to disturb outdoor activities
• No exposed equipment outdoors; nothing to damage, no copper to steal

Environmentally friendly:

• Conserve natural resources with lower energy demand thus lowering power plant emissions
• Minimize ozone layer destruction by using factory-sealed refrigeration systems, which will seldom or never have to be recharged
• Uses underground loops to transfer heat, with no external venting and no air pollution
• Again, very quiet — No noisy fan units to disturb outdoor activities