How
it works
The principle behind geothermal technology is that the solar energy absorbed by the top 500 to 1,000 feet of the earth's crust can be used indirectly, and very economically, to heat and cool your home.
Geothermal heat-pumps use an electrically-driven refrigeration cycle to redirect solar heat through buildings where it can then dissipate back to the atmosphere. Because the heat pumps redirect heat produced by the sun, instead of consuming fossil fuels, they are much more efficient in terms of overall energy consumption. Typically, a heat pump consumes only 25-35% of the energy a conventional, fossil fuel driven heat system consumes.
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For air conditioning, the process is simply reversed. Heat drawn from within a building (air conditioning) is rejected to the ground via the ground loops using the same central equipment.
Payback in 2.5 - 5 years
Although the initial capital cost of a geothermal heating and cooling system may be higher than the cost for a conventional system, recent projects have shown payback on initial capital cost increase as low as 2.5 to 3 years for commercial buildings and 5 years for residential buildings.
Lower maintenance costs
The paybacks quoted above become even more attractive when your business case takes into account the lower cost of maintenance associated with geothermal heat pumps. Cost comparisons over time show that conventional systems require a significantly higher level of maintenance.
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