Two 36-ton geothermal heat pumps used at the College of Southern Idaho.

Geothermal heat and energy is a revolutionary way to take natural energy from the earth to power homes and buildings. You can use geothermal heat to be more energy efficient, help reduce global warming and even to help with the ultimate goal of geothermal geoexchange. To understand if geothermal energy is right for you, you will first need to understand how it works.

Geothermal heating works by using pumps. Under the frost line of the earth, the ground will stay a constant temperature, which is about 57 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a great temperature for heat pumps. Geothermal heating pumps work because they circulate the water in an underground loop that is called a heat exchanger. Then, water to air heat pumps that are located throughout a building and the hot air will be pumped throughout.

The geothermal heat exchanger is made from high density polyethylene piping that is buried in holes under the ground about 150-300 feet deep. This works because the temperature is controlled independently at each of the heat pumps in the rooms of the home or building. Because there is a constant temperature of the earth, it helps balance the temperature of air being cycled through the house or building all year long.

For example, if it is cold and you need more heat in your room, you can simply adjust the heat like you would with electric heating but then the heat is pumped from the water loop underground and into the room that you need. If your room is hot and you want geothermal cooling, you adjust your thermostat for such and the heat will be pumped back out of your room and into the water loop below ground. This is a safe and natural way to balance the heating and cooling of a building and because it is so energy efficient, it will save you a lot of money in the long term.

Over the years that these systems have been used, different studies have impacted the design of the geothermal heating systems. New work and developments have found the best way to size the pumps and the piping and other parts of the geothermal heating and cooling system. One thing that has been taken into consideration in the development and design of these systems is the thermal conductivity of the earth where the building is located.

What are some of the advantages to these geothermal cooling and heating systems? They have standard controls that are easy to use. They can save you from 25-40% on your heating and cooling costs. Buildings that use the alternate energy of geothermal systems do not have to have a boiler operator or chiller technician. Additionally there is no boiler to clean, no harmful chemicals involved and no AC units on the roof or other locations that can cause leaks. There are no central systems that can fail or shut down and cause problems within the home or building.

You will find the result is an amazing reduction on your energy bill when you use a geothermal system and you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing something good for the environment and the future.

Fact Sheets

The following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

• Geothermal Heat Pumps for Federal Buildings (PDF 957 KB)
• Heat Pump Overview (PDF 115 KB)
• Geothermal Heat Pumps Make Sense for Homeowners (PDF 115 KB)
• Geothermal Heat Pumps Score High Marks in Schools (PDF 115 KB)
• Geothermal Heat Pumps for Medium and Large Buildings (PDF 312 KB)
• Environmental and Energy Benefits of Geothermal Heat Pumps (PDF 318 KB)
• GeoExchange Heating and Cooling Systems: Fascinating Facts (PDF 90 KB)

For more information, contact Precision Air of Tennessee, Inc..