There is a lot of heat under the surface of our planet. In fact, 47 percent of the solar energy received by the earth is stored under its surface. This is a great natural source for residential geothermal heating and cooling. Geothermal heating systems can also provide hot water that will cost you almost nothing, as well as superior dehumidification for your home. Geothermal home heating and cooling is a breakthrough on the renewable energy front, especially its cooling aspects.


The technology behind using geothermal to cool your home is much the same as that in your refrigerator. It is referred to as a geothermal system heat pump, and is also referred to as earth source heat pump or ground source heat pump. This system simply reverses the heating effects to provide cooling during the summer months, and it does so with twice the efficiency of a regular AC unit. This is a wonderful addition to climate control at home.

Geothermal heat pumps work in a similar way to traditional heat pumps, but rather than use the heat from air found outside, they use the earth’s heat, which is even and stable, and can provide heat, hot water, and air conditioning. A substance referred to as a refrigerant moves the heat. When this substance is compressed, it is a high-pressure liquid and results in high temperatures. If it expands, however, it turns into low-pressure gas, which results in low temperatures.

The principle behind residential geothermal heating and cooling is very similar to cave temperatures. The air in a cave is always the same temperature, no matter the season. So, in summer it feels cold when you enter it, but in winter it feels quite warm. Geothermal pumps also aim to keep the temperature in your home steady. So, in the winter when it is cold outside, they take the earth’s heat and move it into your home. In the summer when it is hot, they remove the earth’s heat from your home straight back into the ground.

Studies have been conducted, which demonstrate that 70 percent of geothermal home heating and cooling in the U.S. could viably come from renewable energy from underneath the earth. It does of-course cost a significant sum to install a geothermal system, but in the long run it can save you a lot of money, providing 30 to 40 percent savings on your monthly energy bills. Geothermal energy pumps have low maintenance costs because the outside parts of the system are located well underground so they are protected from harsh weather conditions, and also because they are very simple mechanically.

For more information on geothermal energy, go to:
en.wikipedia.org,
geothermal.org

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.