I just started with a new marketing client Jay Egg. He is the leading geothermal expert in the Southeast. Geothermal is a great energy source that I am really starting to sink my teeth into and I think it has a great potential for our energy industry too. But anyway, Jay contributed this information for the sake of getting it out there. For me, who am I to complain! Thanks Jay and I think tht when we should drill for energy it should be for this versus oil any day of the week!
How Do They Work?
Remember, a geothermal heat pump doesn’t create heat by burning fuel, like a furnace does. Instead, in winter it collects the Earth’s natural heat through a series of pipes, called a loop, installed below the surface of the ground or submersed in a pond or lake. Fluid circulates through the loop and carries the heat to the house. There, an electrically driven compressor and a heat exchanger concentrate the Earth’s energy and release it inside the home at a higher temperature.
Ductwork then distributes the heat to different rooms.
In summer time, the process is reversed.
The underground loop draws excess heat from the house and allows it to be absorbed by the Earth. The system cools your home in the same way that a refrigerator keeps your food cool – by drawing heat from the interior, not by blowing in cold air.
The geothermal loop that is buried underground is typically made of high-density polyethylene, a tough plastic that is extraordinarily durable but which allows heat to pass through efficiently. When installers connect sections of pipe, they heat fuse the joints, making the connections stronger than the pipe itself. The fluid in the loop is water or an environmentally safe antifreeze solution that circulates through the pipes in a closed system.
Another type of geothermal system uses a loop of copper piping placed underground. When refrigerant is pumped through the loop, heat is transferred directly through the copper to the earth.
As with any heat pump, geothermal and water-source heat pumps are able to heat, cool, and, if so equipped, supply the house with hot water. Some models of geothermal systems are available with two-speed compressors and variable fans for more comfort and energy savings. Relative to air-source heat pumps, they are quieter, last longer, need little maintenance, and do not depend on the temperature of the outside air.
Egg Geothermal Heating and Cooling uses the Earth’s constant temperature to achieve EER’s (Energy Efficiency Ratings) in the 30’s. The heating COP (Coefficient of Performance) is approaching 5. A 5 COP indicates that the Egg Geothermal Systems are producing 5 units of energy for every unit of electricity consumed. The other 4 come from the Earth. That’s why this technology is called “renewable”.
What great information! The geothermal field seems to hold a lot of potential for positive energy changes. Thanks for sharing Seth.
Nice article dude. I was aware of geothermal energy, and now see how it can be useful to one household, one family but I think that is still too expensive for single housing. Green energy is the future energy.thanks for this article.