Geo-Source Energy

Energy Efficiency In Your Home – The Geothermal Option

Geothermal energy is becoming a value added feature to newly constructed homes. Geothermal energy heats your home in the winter and cools it in the summer and provides hot water at the same time all from the same unit.

Geothermal heating and cooling is being considered the most effective energy-conscious system to utilize in the home environment. The heating and cooling industry claims that geothermal users save from 30 to 60 percent on their energy consumption in the home.

How It Works – In Basic Terms

Geothermal heating and cooling taps into the free, renewable energy stored within the earth and moves it into your home. The energy or heat is the result of the earth’s ability to act as a giant solar collector, storing about 500 times more energy from the sun than the world is currently using.

Underground temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year at about 50 degrees F. even though outdoor temperatures vary widely season to season. In winter, water circulating through a “loop” of underground pipes absorbs this heat from the earth and carries it to the thermal unit inside the home. This heat is extracted, compressed into a higher temperature and distributed throughout the home via a traditional air duct system.

In summer the opposite occurs. Heat is removed from the home and transferred back to the cooler earth by way of the water-filled pipes. This air-conditioning byproduct is optional at the flick of a button in your home. It works very much like a refrigerator, removing enough of the warm air to lower the temperature to the correct setting.

During both the winter and summer some of the heat being removed is diverted to the hot water tank. This allows the earth’s energy to heat 50 to 75% of the hot water free, saving a home owner several hundred dollars each year.

Geothermal systems are unique because they move heat to and from a home. Unlike traditional heating systems, geothermal heating and cooling systems do not burn fuel to make heat. A geothermal system will produce anywhere from three to four units of heat for every unit of electricity needed to run the pump, compressor and fan. Therefore, it is 300 to 400 percent efficient. Natural gas, propane, fuel oil, and electric resistance are all less than 100 percent efficient. Air-to-air heat pumps are about 200 percent efficient but draw their heat from the air outside and not from the earth.

Benefits To the Subscriber

Geothermal systems give homeowners what they want most. Geothermal systems produce an even temperature throughout the house without the draftiness often associated with fuel-burning systems. In addition, there are no flames, flues or fumes. The systems are extremely quiet and easy to operate. There is no noisy, unsightly outside equipment. Your home is not only more beautiful, but more comfortable to live in.

Benefits To All of Us

Geothermal systems are also quite beneficial to the environment. Since there is no burning fuel, geothermal systems do not produce pollution. Less need for electric utilities means less need for new coal-fired, pollution-generating power plants. Less dependence on oil means reducing the need for fossil fuels.

Our Installations

Geothermal heating and cooling systems have been installed in a variety of projects:

Beaver Flats in Whistler utilizes a ground source heat pump system to provide both winter heating and summer cooling for all 57 units. Domestic hot water is also preheated with this system. Ventilation air for the units and for underground parking is routed through air-to-air heat recovery units for additional energy conservation. Because of its strategic proximity to the highway, residents can sleep soundly and in comfort with their soundless air conditioning system and with their windows closed during the summer.

The Peaks Country Townhomes - Several homeowners at the Peaks Country Townhomes opted for geothermal heating.

Pioneer Junction Shell - The gasbar/convenience store utilizes the heating and cooling system. All of the fridge’s are energy efficient in this way.

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