On the world stage, geothermal energy offers an alternative and endless energy supply that can’t be matched by fossil fuels. And geothermal energy is clean energy, it doesn’t pollute the environment. On a much smaller scale, it’s already being adopted as the main source of energy to heat and cool homes at great cost savings to homeowners.
What is Geothermal Energy?
This type of energy is literally heat from inside the Earth, which can be tapped by power stations of all sizes and individual homes as well. It is available throughout the world and right in your own backyard.
This energy source is not dependent on the temperature outside your home. Whether it’s sweltering hot or snowman cold above ground doesn’t matter because the source of this energy is deep inside the Earth, where the temperature is constant throughout the year.
How it Works
Most geothermal systems use pipes to reach beneath the ground, below the frost line, where the temperature stays fairly constant at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. By tapping into the Earth’s underground temperature, your home’s geothermal system is essentially taking a short cut. When you set the thermostat to cool your home to 72 degrees in the summer, or warm it to 68 degrees in the winter, it taps into the system’s milder starting point to reach your desired temperature.
Think of it this way: On a 110-degree day in Arizona, the system starts with the below-ground temperature of 50 degrees and cools the air in your house to the desired 72 degrees. The system saves energy by not having to start with the 110-degree air on the Earth’s surface. It works in a similar manner to heat air during the winter, starting at the same 50 degrees.
The 50-degree heat is ferried between underneath the Earth and the HVAC systems using closed-loop pipes. The geothermal machine uses refrigerant and lukewarm water from the pipes below ground to heat or cool air, which is then pushed through the house using standard ductwork. The unit can also use excess heat to heat water for no extra cost.
Savings for Homeowners
One of the benefits of installing a geothermal system is an immediate cost saving in energy bills that could lower your bills by up to 70 percent. The systems are more expensive than a traditional HVAC system, but you may qualify for state and federal grants that can help defray the cost. Contact a professional HVAC company such as tin man heating for help deciding which type of system would work best for you.
Geothermal energy is seen by many regions of the world as an affordable and sustainable solution that we can use to reduce our need for fossil fuels. By moving away from the use of fossil fuels, we are reducing pollution and the risk of global warming, while also decreasing the possible risks to public health from using them. It is also a renewable resource that is always available. The continual flow of heat beneath the Earth helps ensure a potentially limitless supply of energy for millions and millions of years to come.
