How geothermal works

Geothermal systems have also been referred to as earth energy, or geoexchange systems.

About 6 feet below the earth's surface, the ground holds a constant year-round temperature of 10 °C to 15 °C.  The deeper you go, the less the ground temperature fluctuates.  It’s this stability of temperature underground regardless of the weather that geothermal systems exploit.

A series of pipes are buried underground either vertically or horizontally.  The pipes contains a fluid consisting of an environmentally friendly antifreeze and water mixture.  The fluid is circulated through the series of underground pipes and through the heat pump.  The fluid absorbs the heat from the earth as it travels the length of the pipes.  The heat pump within the house extracts the heat using a small amount of electricity.  The heat is distributed throughout the home via forced-air ventilation or a radiant-heating system.

Geothermal systems can also operate in reverse to cool a home, by transferring heat from the home via the loop fluid to the colder ground.  By performing both the heating and the cooling, a single system can replace separate furnace and air conditioning units.

For further information on how geothermal heat pumps extract and reject the ground heat, click here.

Systems can typically reduce energy consumption by 65% in heating mode and 30% in cooling mode.

By taking advantage of current government incentives, a $22,000 + GST system will only cost the homeowner $13,250.