Similar to an air conditioning or a refrigerator, a geothermal heat pump system utilizes a heat pump in order to compel the transmission of heat from the ground to the device, and even in the areas that do not benefit from vast geothermal resources, such a system still supplies air heating and cooling. The premise is that heat can be taken out of any source, regardless of the degree of cold, but a hotter source will allow greater efficiency. Unlike an air source heat pump which takes out heat from the colder air from outside, requiring more energy, a geothermal heat pump system makes use of the shallow ground as a resource of heat, therefore taking the benefits of its seasonal mild temperatures.
The geothermal heat pump systems are amid the most comfortable and efficient heating and cooling structures existing at this time, as they use the earth’s natural temperature. They are comparable to the usual heat pumps, but they make use of the ground as an alternative to the air in order to supply heating, air conditioning and hot water.
As a more detailed explanation, the geothermal heat pump functions on the solar energy stored in the earth’s crust. The energy is transmitted to and from the ground’s surface through solar radiation, wind and rain. The ground’s temperature, which deepens at more than 30 feet, stays stable and it is analogous to the yearly typical air temperature.
There is a number of benefits for using a geothermal heat pump system, such as:
- they can concurrently cool and heat diverse parts of the same building
- the system can be fixed in multiple areas, each area having an individual control room
- unlike using other traditional heat pump systems which require a lot of space, these systems offer greater freedom in buildings designs as a result of 50 – 80% less mechanical room space
- the pipes have a 50 year life expectancy
- they function very silently, so you will not even know that the device is functioning
- there is no outside equipment to put out of sight, reducing vandalism and roof top units
- you can forget about a boiler and chiller maintenance
- it is all electrical, and so multiple utility services are eliminated
Here’s an article if you’re interested in Solar Powered Heat Pumps
