Geothermal - How it works

A major source of energy is right under your feet.

Your own backyardhas the potential to be your source of heating and cooling comfort. Now you can get safe, reliable, energy efficient heating and cooling from one piece of equipment. Geothermal energy represents the leading edge of heating and cooling technology. It moves heat energy to and from the earth to heat and cool your indoor environment. And compared to ordinary systems, geothermal technology can save you 30% to 60% on your monthly energy bills. Geothermal is the safest, cleanest, most reliable space conditioning system you can buy.

Geothermal energy is an unlimited resource. The lot surrounding a suburban home or other building contains a vast reservoir of low temperature thermal energy, typically 10 times that required over an entire heating season. This resource is constantly resupplied by the sun, the surrounding earth, and heat rejected while cooling during the summer. The universal definition of geothermal is "...pertaining to the heat of the earth." By using the earth to provide up to 50% of a building's total heating and cooling needs, GHP systems are truly geothermal energy made practical.

The leading manufacturer of geothermal equipment in the world today, and the brand we recommend www.waterfurnace.com

Four basic types of geothermal energy sources:

Closed loop systems circulate a water-based solution through a "loop" of small diameter, underground pipes. In cold weather this solution absorbs heat from the earth and carries it to the geothermal unit. The geothermal system amplifies the heat and delivers it indoors. In warm weather the process is reversed, excess heat is carried from indoors and into the earth. You keep refreshingly cool during the hottest summer.

Horizontal loops are often considered when adequate land surface is available. Pipes are placed in trenches, in lengths that range from 100 to 400 feet.

Vertical loops are the ideal choice when available land surface is limited. Drilling equipment is used to bore small-diameter holes from 75 to 300 feet deep.

Pond (lake) loops are very economical to install when a body of water is available, because excavation costs are virtually eliminated. Coils of pipe are simply placed on the bottom of the pond or lake.

Open loop systems utilize ground water as a direct energy source. In ideal conditions, an open loop application can be the most economical type of geothermal system.

Boiler/Tower Systems For efficiency upgrades where large geothermal systems are not viable, existing boiler/tower jobs are frequently retrofitted. Hybrid systems incorporate both geothermal loop coupled with down-sized conventional heat rejection or addition equipment (boiler or tower).

Four times the efficiency.

A geothermal system uses the Earth's thermal properties in conjunction with electricity to provide unprecedented efficiency. For every unit of electricity the system uses, it provides four units of heating energy, giving a geothermal system a 400% efficiency rating on average. These numbers can translate into real savings on your utility bills year- round.

The Geothermal Advantage

When you invest in a geothermal system, you can be assured that you are receiving the highest quality, best performing heating and cooling system available. Here are some of the benefits of geothermal ownership.

Lower operating costs: A geothermal system operates more efficiently than ordinary heating and air conditioning systems-30% to 60% in most cases.

Comfortable: Because the unit uses the relatively stable temperature of the earth as an energy source, you are assured of constant, even winter heating and better humidity control in summer.

Safe and clean: No flame, no flue, no odors, just safe reliable operation year after year.

Flexibility: The unit provides heating, central air conditioning and hot water all from the same compact unit.

Economical Water Heating: Water heating can be a significant energy expense. Geothermal units can reduce the high cost of water heating by as much as 66%.

Attractive: The completely self contained indoor unit needs no noisy, unsightly outside condensing unit

Environment: The system emits no carbon dioxide, which is considered a major contributor to environmental air pollution.

source: http://www.waterfurnace.com/