5.089

Let’s begin with a few basics to help explain what geothermal energy is and how it can help heat, or cool, your home or business.

Geothermal energy is a natural energy source that lies below the Earth’s surface. It is used in its natural form; therefore, it is known as “clean” energy. This type of natural, clean energy source is also known as sustainable. Sustainable means, basically, that a resource can meet human needs while not damaging the environment to do so. If a resource is sustainable, the needs it meets now can also be met into the future, for an indefinite time period. The resource is not finite; it could possibly be infinite.

Geothermal energy sources can be very near the Earth’s surface or miles below the surface where the temperatures are extraordinarily high and intense due to the magma nearer the Earth’s core. Magma when erupting through a volcano is known as lava when it becomes exposed to the surface air.

Geothermal heat pumps are ideal for use in regions where the top 10 feet of the Earth, called a thin or shallow section of the Earth, maintains a fairly consistent temperature ranging between 10 and 16 degrees Celsius (50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit). This ground, the Earth’s soil, is warmer than the air, the Earth’s atmosphere, during winter months and cooler than the air in summer months. Geothermal science uses this knowledge to make the most of the situation.

There are three fundamental parts to a geothermal heat pump system. They are the heat exchanger, the heat pump, and the ductwork that delivers the air. The heat exchanger is a method of transferring heat from one place to another and is commonly referred to as a “loop” of networked pipes. It is hidden in the shallow soil near whatever structure is being transitioned for this system’s use. Water, or sometimes a blend of water and antifreeze, flows through the pipes and either absorbs heat or lets it go within the ground.

During the summer months, the heat pump removes the heat from the air inside and transfers it to the heat exchanger. Heat from this transaction then becomes an alternate source for hot water. The opposite occurs in the colder months of winter, and the heat pump takes the heat from the ground heat exchanger and pumps it through to the air delivery system inside.

Drawing heat from the ground, out of the Earth’s soil, requires much less energy to accomplish the task than conventional heating systems. This method of heating your home or business has the beneficial results of: 1) saving energy; 2) saving money; 3) cooling or warming your home or business more efficiently; and 4) reducing air pollution.



Sherry Irvin
on behalf of the
BascoTec Internet Limited
Technologie Park 13
33100 Paderborn
Germany

Recommend or share this page: