Geothermal home energy refers to transfer of energy from the earth to the home. Using geothermal technology, the natural temperature of the earth or water, can be used to heat and cool homes, and heat hot water.

Video - Geothermal House Design

Video - Geothermal Heat Pump

Use underground thermal properties to heat and cool your home. A geothermal exchange heat pump is also known as a ground source heat pump.

Geothermal heat pumps use the natural heat stored in the earth or ground water to provide energy efficient heating and cooling.

The system consists of:

A simple heat pump's vapor-compression refrigeration cycle: 1) condenser, 2) expansion valve, 3) evaporator, 4) compressor.

Indoor heat pump equipment
A ground loop - exchanges heat between the earth and the heat pump.
Flow center to connect the indoor and outdoor equipment.

The heat pump equipment works in reverse to a refrigerator; it removes heat from one location and applies it to another.

Geothermal heat pumps can be installed into new homes or retrofitted into existing homes.

They provide heating and cooling of the internal home environment, as well as domestic hot water. They suit most size homes, in any region.

Cost

The initial cost of installing a Geothermal Heat Pump system is typcially quite high, ranging from $5,000 to $12,000 for a 2,000 sq. ft. home. However the average cost of most systems is around $20,000. The cost of installation is impacted by the geology of the area, size of the home and location of the home/property.

And Savings

The system can save the average family from $400-$1,400/year, reducing the average heating/cooling costs by 35-70% per household. In many countries, the cost of a system can be mitigated by governmental programs such as tax credits.

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