GEOTHERMAL
Geothermal is without doubt the sustainable solution with the quickest return on investment for the majority of homes. This abundant energy, which exists already in your yard, can be easily tapped into for heating and cooling your home as well as be used for heating your hot water. Its like having your own private, safe, quite and clean energy production plant underground, footsteps away from your home: no more bills to pay, no carbon footprint to worry about, no more helping to keep our dependance on oil. We will be able to recommend the sort of geothermal solution best suiting your needs and then implement it in a matter of weeks.
How Does Geothermal Work?
The term Geothermal refers to the heat, or thermal energy, contained in the Earth. Geothermal systems utilize the Earth's ability to store heat in the ground and water thermal masses. The thermal energy stored in the Earth is a result of solar exposure (or, simply put – the fact that the Sun heats the face of the Earth and that this heat penetrates deeper underground), as well as other various geological effects e.g. underground currents and other geological activity.
Though in some very specific locations geothermal is used to produce electricity out of volcanic activity, this is not what we are offering or referring to commonly when discussing geothermal solutions. Our solutions do not require a volcano and are intended even for small properties. Furthermore, our geothermal solutions do not produce electricity but rather produce heating, cooling and hot water.
Our geothermal systems operate based on the stability of underground temperatures; the ground only a few feet below surface has a very steady temperature year-round, depending upon your specific location. For example, in the North-East of the USA is about 53 degrees Fahrenheit. A geothermal system uses this underground thermal energy: in the winter it takes this energy out of the ground and converts it into comfortable heat inside the house (of temperature higher than what is under the ground using a compressor assembly), and in the summer the system absorbs the heat from the house and puts it back into the ground in the form of thermal energy. In other words – we borrow heat from the ground in the winter and then give it back in the summer...
A geothermal system differs from a conventional furnace or boiler by its ability to transfer heat versus the standard method of producing heat. As energy costs continue to rise and pollution concerns continue to be a hot topic, geothermal systems hold a solution to both of these concerns.
Types of Geothermal
When it comes to geothermal there can be some confusion about what the term refers to (pertaining to heating and cooling). There are the geothermal heat pumps which are also known as "geo-exchange", "ground-source heat pumps" or “water-loops.” The geothermal heat pumps relevant to us use water to exchange heat with the ground, often referred to as "water-source geothermal heat pumps" or "water loop geothermal heat pumps." Another technology we often recommend as further explained below is the direct exchange (DX) geothermal. This technology, which is somewhat newer (though it has been in use for well over 30 years) is using refrigerant versus water to conduct the thermal exchange. It is more efficient thus more cost-effective.
What Geothermal System is Right for Me?
When we approach a project, we evaluate it from various aspects. Each property is unique and poses its special challenges. Most properties can enjoy the use of a geothermal system which will provide some or all of the following benefits:
- Low Operating Cost
- No Required Exposed Outdoor Equipment
- Level Seasonal Electric Demand
- No On-Site Combustion
- Long Life Expectancy
- Low Cost Integrated Water Heating
- Simplicity
- Low Maintenance
- No to Minimal Supplemental Heat Required
- Low Environmental Impact
Some of the determining factor in our recommendation as to which system we should install includes size of lot, structure of ground, geology of the ground, size of building to be serviced, hot water requirements, cooling and humidity requirements, budget and time constrains, local government regulations constrains, etc.
As a solution provider we are constantly on the search for the best technologies at the most cost-effective prices. We seek to serve our customers with a system that will pay back for itself in a short number of years, and that will serve the customer well with minimal maintenance for many years to come. Contact us today for to schedule consultation or for more information. Also, check our open house schedule and come yourself to see a working geothermal system.