Interest In Geothermal Heating Slowly Increasing
For more than two decades, the proponents of geothermal heating and cooling systems have been struggling to gain public acceptance, but it appears that attitudes are slowly changing, due to some significant advances that have been made in the technology in recent years.
Although geothermal heating composes only 2% of the total heating market, sales are beginning to increase as homeowners begin to take advantage of grants, rebates and credit offered for installing geothermal heating systems.
There is little denying that geothermal energy is perhaps one of the most efficient forms of alternative energy. The systems may be expensive to install, but the return on the investment can be made within 2 to 3 years. Greater savings efficiencies are realized with larger homes, and once payments are complete, the annual savings on energy costs can easily approach 20%.
A better understanding how the geothermal heating technology process works, may also contribute to wider and quicker acceptance. The ground-source heat pump is the central operating component of the heat-exchange system. The pumps push the water through a piping loop that is buried underground. The water in the piping absorbs heat from the soil to warm or cool the refrigerant in the heat pump which is installed inside of the building to be heated or cooled.
The operating principal is fairly simple when compared to other heating systems. Heat pumps are just like air conditioners, but they don't need to create heat. They simply transfer heat from colder to warmer places. Compressors are outside of the home, and when heating, they extract some of the heat from outdoors and deliver it indoors. However there are some limitations in the process. When the temperature drops below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, they may not be enough heat in the ambient air, and the system is inefficient and a backup system is needed. In the cooling mode, the process is reversed. The tremendous savings and conveniences are realized from the fact that no burning of expensive fossil fuels are needed.
Ground-source heat pumps, are able to transfer heat from the ground, which is usually warmer and at more stable temperatures. Even in the colder winter months, the temperature of the soil that is between 4 to 6 feet below the surface remains at approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a free source of heat that can easily be transferred to the interior of the building.
In warmer climes, with ground temperatures of 55 degrees F, a boost of only 20 degrees is needed to be comfortable indoors, while with conventional heating systems, temperatures must be increased by 60 degrees. The ability to retain the heat is affected by the temperature of the air outside of the home, as heat is lost at faster rates on colder days, which means that the pumps will be working harder on colder days.
The process is reversed in the cooling process, as heat is removed from the interior of the building and transferred to the underground loop. The savings realized can be as much as 40 percent when the system is compared with conventional air-conditioning systems.
Installation of a geothermal heating system will not only save you money on energy costs, but geothermal heating also contributes to less environmental damage while providing the comforts of heat and hot water.
Although geothermal heating composes only 2% of the total heating market, sales are beginning to increase as homeowners begin to take advantage of grants, rebates and credit offered for installing geothermal heating systems.
There is little denying that geothermal energy is perhaps one of the most efficient forms of alternative energy. The systems may be expensive to install, but the return on the investment can be made within 2 to 3 years. Greater savings efficiencies are realized with larger homes, and once payments are complete, the annual savings on energy costs can easily approach 20%.
A better understanding how the geothermal heating technology process works, may also contribute to wider and quicker acceptance. The ground-source heat pump is the central operating component of the heat-exchange system. The pumps push the water through a piping loop that is buried underground. The water in the piping absorbs heat from the soil to warm or cool the refrigerant in the heat pump which is installed inside of the building to be heated or cooled.
The operating principal is fairly simple when compared to other heating systems. Heat pumps are just like air conditioners, but they don't need to create heat. They simply transfer heat from colder to warmer places. Compressors are outside of the home, and when heating, they extract some of the heat from outdoors and deliver it indoors. However there are some limitations in the process. When the temperature drops below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, they may not be enough heat in the ambient air, and the system is inefficient and a backup system is needed. In the cooling mode, the process is reversed. The tremendous savings and conveniences are realized from the fact that no burning of expensive fossil fuels are needed.
Ground-source heat pumps, are able to transfer heat from the ground, which is usually warmer and at more stable temperatures. Even in the colder winter months, the temperature of the soil that is between 4 to 6 feet below the surface remains at approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a free source of heat that can easily be transferred to the interior of the building.
In warmer climes, with ground temperatures of 55 degrees F, a boost of only 20 degrees is needed to be comfortable indoors, while with conventional heating systems, temperatures must be increased by 60 degrees. The ability to retain the heat is affected by the temperature of the air outside of the home, as heat is lost at faster rates on colder days, which means that the pumps will be working harder on colder days.
The process is reversed in the cooling process, as heat is removed from the interior of the building and transferred to the underground loop. The savings realized can be as much as 40 percent when the system is compared with conventional air-conditioning systems.
Installation of a geothermal heating system will not only save you money on energy costs, but geothermal heating also contributes to less environmental damage while providing the comforts of heat and hot water.
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