What is a Geothermal Heating and Cooling System?

Geothermal heating and cooling systems are becoming more popular, but what exactly are they?
Geothermal systems utilize the temperature below ground, as this remains largely unchanged
regardless of the time of year. It can be freezing cold during the winter, or blazing hot during the
summer, but the temperature of the Earth remains quite stable. This is because the ground
absorbs nearly half of the sun's energy as it hits the ground, and geothermal heating and cooling
systems tap into this free energy source by using a loop system. These loop systems can be open
or closed, and closed loop systems can be installed horizontally or vertically, or even in a pond.
Open loop systems can use surface water or well water. It doesn't matter whether the system is
open or closed, as both will transfer energy giving year-round home comfort.

Using Geothermal Energy during winter and summer

During the winter a geothermal heat pump extracts heat from the ground using an earth loop. As
the heat is extracted it can be distributed throughout the home using a duct system, but can also
be distributed using a radiant heating system or used to heat hot water. During the summer the
process of heating the home is reversed, as unwanted warmth extracted from the home can be
moved back into the loop, or it can be used to heat hot water.

Advantages of Geothermal Energy

It is an incredibly effective system that has been in use for quite a long time. Geothermal heating
and cooling systems are generally a lot quieter than many other heat pumps or ordinary air
conditioners as there is no noisy outside unit. Another advantage is that geothermal systems are
installed inside, so they're not exposed to the kind of wear and tear that heat pumps are subjected
to. As such they tend to be pretty reliable and low in maintenance. They are also highly effective,
and many people find that a properly installed geothermal heating and cooling system can
eliminate previous hot and cold spots in the home. The savings on energy bills can also be huge,
and can reduce energy costs of heating, cooling and heating hot water for a home by up to 70%.
In short they are environmentally friendly and one of the most energy-efficient systems on the
market.

Government Incentives for Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems

Not surprisingly the government is keen to encourage use of this type of energy, so it may well
be possible to gain tax credits through the installation of the system. This is something your
installer can discuss with you. There's little doubt the use of this system is growing considerably,
especially amongst people looking to build a new home. The advantages including it in a new
build property is that the costs can usually be added to the mortgage, and should soon be repaid
due to the vastly decreased energy bills. In addition new homes are often better insulated and
have a better fitting windows and doors, helping to keep down the energy requirements which
could result in a smaller system being fitted. Fitting a geothermal heating and cooling system
will not only help reduce energy bills, but is also likely to make the home more sellable in the
future.