Geothermal Energy
When you hear geothermal do you think of geysers and hot pools? Unfortunately that it still the perception that many have about geothermal energy. However there are geothermal systems that can heat and cool your home or business no matter where you live.
Geothermal heat pumps use the natural temperature from the earth in your yard to heat or cool your home.
Ground temperatures about four to six feet below the Earth’s surface remain relatively moderate and constant all year. That’s because the Earth absorbs 47% of all the heat energy that reaches its surface from the sun. A geothermal system circulates a water-based solution through a buried loop system to take advantage of these constant temperatures.
Heating Cycle
During the heating cycle the heat pump circulates the fluid through the loop extracting heat from the ground. The heat pump compresses the extracted heat to a high temperature and delivers it to your home through a normal duct system or radiant heat system.
Cooling Cycle
For cooling, the process is simply reversed. Because the earth is much cooler than the air temperatures on a hot day, the geothermal system removes heat from the home and deposits it into the ground. The fluid is cooled by the ground temperatures and returned to the unit for cooling your home.
Uses
Geothermal sytems can be used for forced air heating and cooling, radiant flooring and hot water systems.