Geothermal systems are  designed to make use of the earth’s constant temperature as an exchange medium instead of making use of the outside air temperature. This is why geothermal heat pumps maintain 300% to 600% efficiencies on very cold nights unlike the air-source heating systems that do not exceed 175% to 250% efficiency.

The buried pipe, or “ground loop” portion of a geothermal system, is the biggest technical advancement in heat pump technology to date. The idea to bury pipe in the ground that gathers heat energy began in the 1940s.  But only in recent years, with new heat pump designs and improved piping materials have  companies been able to improve geothermal systems, making them the most efficient heating and cooling modes available.

The warmed liquid from the loop in the ground is brought to the house by a flow center or pump mounted near the furnace on the inside of the house.  The flow center  transfers the warmed fluid  from the piping underground to  the heat exchanger in the geothermal furnace’s refrigeration system to warm the air.    From there the system disperses the heat throughout the home like a conventional system.  

One of the most  immediate benefits you will feel in a geothermally heated home  is  the  comfortable, round the clock, even heat as compared to  a blast of hot air and a cooling off period like you get with a traditional gas forced air furnace.

Hopefully this explanation has clarified a few basic things about a geothermal system.  As a geothermal homeowner myself for over 18 years I’m a true believer in the benefits of geothermal energy.

One search may take you to hot rocks, or magma, found beneath the earth’s crust that can be used to produce unlimited energy called Geothermal energy, or ‘Big G.’  This heat can be extracted from the ground to be used as direct heat or to drive electric producing turbines.  However, ‘Big G’ is limited to a minimal number of areas around the world where the magma is accessible.

Another search may introduce you to ‘Little g,’ which refers to the energy stored in the ground to depths up to 500 feet from solar radiation.  By a process referred to as geoexchange, this energy is captured by water circulated through a series of pipes in the ground and converted into heat for your home.  In the summer months and in warmer climates, a geothermal furnace collects the heat in your home and re-deposits that energy into the ground.  In essence, it’s a form of recycling.

Geoexchange is the term given by the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium to describe ‘Little g.’  More can be read on this topic by visiting NationalDriller.com.

To learn more about residential ‘Little g’ geothermal system installation, visit YoderGeothermal.com.

We all knew these systems could save homeowners a lot of money on their heating bills in winter, but now the water-to-water unit has been given the “green light” of approval.  Watch for this market to make a big splash in 2010 and the following years.

Water-to-water geothermal heat pumps use the same earth loop found in water-to-air geothermal units, but instead of heating air, they heat water that is circulated through tubing under your flooring.  This type of heating is also called “radiant heat” and has been used with gas boilers for many years.  Geothermal is a way to lower the cost of this type of heating while improving the environmental impact.