A Definition found on the U.S. Dept of Energy defines geothermal Energy as:
“Obtaining heat from underground hot water or, more commonly, employing a heat pump to warm or cool air by utilizing the constant temperature of the earth. This is a renewable technology”.
Example of How Geothermal Systems work
But how can this apply to your home or circumstance? How do you know if a geothermal technology is going to work for you? Take a look at our short simple article that will explain some features, so that you know more about it.
Geothermal use underground pipes in different configurations, like these shown here in the image, to extract heat in the winter and reject it in the summer. During the Winter the ground is warmer than the air but in the summer the air is warmer then the ground. Ground source heat pumps, as they’re commonly known, use the balance between the seasons to more efficiently heat and cool your home or office. This makes the system 3-5 times more efficent then convetional systems such as oil furnaces.
A refrigerant loop with a compressor extracts heat from one side (the ground) and pumps it to the heating loop in your home. In its simplest form it uses the same process that happens in your refrigerator: heat is extracted via a compressor and refrigerant loop from the inside of your refrigerator/freezer and rejected into your house.
In the summer the geothermal heat pump swaps the cycle, if you have an air-conditioning system, and heat from the home is rejected into the ground or ground water.
The benifit of all this is that a geothermal system does not depend on outside air temperatures. These heat pumps will heat your home as efficiently on a windy, zero-degree winter day as on a 40-degree day. Provided of course, that your house is well insulated and tight.
For more information about Geothermal visit the Montana Green Power Website: http://www.montanagreenpower.com/other/geothermal.php