Geothermal is designed to take advantage of
the earth's heat for heating and cooling. The sun is the biggest source of
heat known to man, the earth is the largest solar collector and water is
the best transferring agent. With the geothermal system you are taking
advantage of all three.
Geoexchange heat pumps use the Earth's energy
storage capability to heat and cool buildings, and to provide hot
water.
GeoSource Heat Pumps can be used in residential
or commercial applications. Common geothermal applications include: homes,
churches, banks, schools, restaurants, and anywhere heating, cooling and
hot water is required. Check out the variety of geothermal applications
presented.
How it
Works
Every geothermal system has three major
subsystems or parts: a geothermal heat pump to move heat between it's
fluid and the earth, and a distribution subsystem for delivering heating
or cooling to the building.
Ground source heat pumps start with a closed loop
of buried pipes containing a fluid that can carry heat. For heating, the
pipe fluid absorbs heat from the earth. The fluid passes through a heat
exchanger (acting as an evaporator) where it transfers heat to a
refrigerant.
The refrigerant, which flows through another
closed loop in the heat pump, then boils. The vaporized refrigerant
travels to the compressor, where its temperature and pressure are
increased.
The hot gas continues to two heat exchangers
(acting as condensers), one heats the house's water and the other is used
for space heating. At each, the refrigerant gives up some heat. A fan
blows across the space-heat condenser to move the warmed air through the
house. The refrigerant, again a liquid, repeats the process.
In summer, the cycle reverses to remove heat from
the house. Some of the heat is used for hot water, the remainder is dumped
into the earth via the ground loop.
