Benefits of Geothermal
People around the world are warming up to the idea of geothermal energy. It’s an energy source whose time has come, as the price of fossil fuels continues to skyrocket and the planet groans under the weight of mounting carbon emissions.
Geothermal energy makes sense on so many levels — from its long-term cost saving to preserving our environment and our own health.
Here’s a closer looks at the benefits geothermal energy offers, and why it’s the way of the future:
Environmental
The health of the planet is on everyone’s mind these days. And for good reason. We’ve been burning fossil fuels for decades, and now that practice has come back to haunt us, beginning with the decidedly negative impact of global warming.
Geothermal energy is remarkably clean. It’s a renewable resource that does not consume any fuel or produce significant emissions. It has nothing to burn. It takes natural heat stored in the Earth and cycles it through modern heat pump technology to produce a never-ending source of energy with little impact on the environment.
Keep this in mind. Nearly 40 per cent of all U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide are the result of using energy to heat/cool and provide hot water for buildings. This is about the same percentage that the transportation sector contributes. Just think of how better off the planet would be if we could eliminate some of those emissions.
Currently installed systems are already making a huge difference in our environment. Today, there are now more than 750,000 geoexchange installations in the U.S. The current use of geothermal heat pump technology has resulted in the elimination of more than 4.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, and more than 1.2 million metric tons of carbon equivalent annually.
That is equivalent to taking 971,000 cars off the road, or reducing U.S. reliance on imported fuels by 16.1 million barrels of crude oil per year.
Geoexchange systems are environmentally friendly. The fluid in the ground-loop heat exchangers is typically an environmentally safe, water-based antifreeze solution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that geoexchange heating and cooling systems can reduce energy consumption (and corresponding emissions) by more than 40 per cent compared to air source heat pumps, and by more than 70 per cent compared to electric resistance heating with standard air-conditioning equipment.
Health
The geoexchange system is safe, clean and healthy. Because there is no open flame (as with fossil fuel-based systems), there is no flue-venting requirement, eliminating the danger of explosion or carbon monoxide poisoning. The air is not uncomfortably dried out and there are no odors.
Because the system doesn’t rely on outside air, it keeps the air inside buildings cleaner and free from pollens, outdoor pollutants, mold spores, and other allergens providing tremendous relief to allergy suffers.
Heat pumps deliver constant comfort and balanced heating and cooling with improved humidity benefits, especially with two-speed fan systems. Heat pumps are quiet with no noisy outdoor compressor.
What could be better? A safe, reliable and healthy system, year after year.
Economics
Based on the rising prices of fuels around the world, geothermal energy is a consistent and reliable alternative energy source that should be given serious government and industry recognition. For the private homeowner, it can mean also mean a substantial savings within several years of installation.
Geoexchange technology is a 100 per cent renewable energy source. It completely eliminates the cost of fossil fuels at point of use under the heating mode and reduces the electrical usage by 20 to 50 per cent in the cooling mode.
Commercial
Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) are a cost effective, energy efficient, and an environmentally friendly way of heating and cooling buildings. Both the DOE (Department of Energy) and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) have endorsed the technology. GSHPs deliver reliable, quality air-conditioning and heating, on demand, in every season. GSHPs are appropriate for new construction as well as retrofits of older buildings. Their flexible design requirements make them a good choice for schools, high-rises, government buildings, apartments, and restaurants, In fact, almost any commercial property would benefit from a system.
Lower operating and maintenance costs, durability, and energy conservation make GSHPs the smart choice for commercial applications.
Some utilities also offer rebates or incentives to their customers who purchase GSHPs.
Residential
A GSHP (ground source heat pump) system can be installed in a residential structure of any size, anywhere, whether it is single-family or multi-family.
GSHPs can be installed on almost any size lot — under lawns, landscaped areas, driveways or under the house itself, whether new construction or retrofitting an existing home.
