Geothermal Systems
Stay comfortable year-round while lowering your energy costs with an efficient geothermal heat pump system.
A geothermal heat pump (also known as ground source heat pump, GSHP, GeoExchange, earth-coupled, ground-source, or water-source heat pumps) is a system that uses the ground's year-round, moderate temperature to heat and cool your home more efficiently than conventional HVAC systems.
Geothermal Basics - How it works
The system consists of a ground heat exchanger, a heat pump, a hot water tank and an air blower. The ground heat exchanger is a series of tubes, buried in the ground, forming a loop. The loop carries water, transferring heat to and from the building. The ground loops can be installed vertically or horizontally depending on available space on the property. The heat pump moves water through the ground loops where heat is transferred. Hot water is stored in a tank for use in the home and an air blower moves the heated or cooled air through the home's duct work.
Geothermal Heating
During the winter months, cold water is pumped from the heat pump into the ground heat exchange tubes. There the water is heated by the earth and circulated back to the pump where the heat is then concentrated to heat the home's air and water.
Geothermal Cooling
In the summer, the heat pump absorbs warm air inside the house and transfers it to the ground heat exchange tubes where the earth absorbs the heat, acting as a heat sink. The cooled water in the tubes is then circulated back to the house where it is used to cool the air.
Savings
While the initial investment is larger than conventional heating and cooling, the savings over the life of the geothermal system can be significant. The installation cost can be offset in as little as 5 years with energy savings as much as 70%.
