What Is Geothermal Heat Pumps?
- Author Yoni Levy
- Published December 18, 2010
- Word count 566
What Is Geothermal Heat Pumps?
If you’re planning to build a new house, office building, or school, or replace your heating and cooling system, you may want to consider a geothermal heat pump
(GHP) system. GHP systems are also known as GeoExchangeSM, ground-source, or water-source heat pumps (as opposed to air-source heat pumps). Regardless of
what you call them, energy-efficient geothermal heat pumps are available today for both residential and commercial building applications.
AGHP system can be installed in virtually any area of the country and will save energy and money. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), GeoExchange systems are the most energy efficient, environmentally clean, and costeffective space conditioning systems available (source: "Space Conditioning: The Next Frontier," EPA430-R-93-004, April 1993).
While residential GHP systems are usually more expensive initially to install than other heating and cooling systems, their greater efficiency means the investment can be recouped in two to ten years. After that, energy and maintenance costs are much less than conventional heating and air-conditioning systems.
When GHP systems are installed in commercial buildings, the state-of-the-art designs are extremely competitive on upfront costs when compared with cooling towers and boilers, and they have lower energy and maintenance costs.
In addition to their cost effectiveness, GHP systems offer aesthetic advantages, quiet operation, free or reduced-cost hot water, improved comfort, and a host of other benefits.
What Is a Geothermal Heat Pump?
Geothermal heat pumps are viable nationwide. They use the Earth as a heat sink in the summer and a heat source in the winter, and therefore rely on the relative warmth of the earth for their heating and cooling production.
Through a system of underground (or underwater) pipes, they transfer heat from the warmer earth or water source to the building in the winter, and take the heat from the building in the summer and discharge it into the cooler ground. Therefore, GHPs don’t create heat; they move it from one area to another.
How Do They Work?
Simply put, a GHP works much like the refrigerator in your kitchen, with the addition of a few extra valves that allow heatexchange fluid to follow two different paths: one for heating and one for cooling. The GHP takes heat from a warm area and exchanges the heat to a cooler area, and vice versa. The beauty of such a system is that it can be used for both heating and cooling—doing away with the need for separate furnace and air-conditioning systems— and for free hot water heating during the summer months.
Low Energy Use
The biggest benefit of GHPs is that they use 25-50% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems. This translates into a GHP using one unit of electricity to move three units of heat from the earth.
According to a report by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, statistically valid findings show that the 4,003- unit GHP retrofit project at Fort Polk, Louisiana, will save 25.8 million kilowatthours (kWh) in a typical meteorological year, or 32.5% of the pre-retrofit wholecommunity electrical consumption.
This translates to an average annual savings of 6,445 kWh per housing unit. In addition, 100% of the whole-community natural gas previously used for space conditioning and water heating (260,000 therms) will be saved. In housing units that were all-electric in the pre-retrofit period, the GHPs were found to save about 42% of the preretrofit electrical consumption for heating, cooling, and water heating.
RunGreenPower.com will teach you how to build solar & wind power systems for
your home within a weekend.
Check It Now: Do You Want To Build Homemade Solar Cells?
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- 8 Compelling Reasons to Hire Professional Home Cleaners
- Explore the Advantages of Renewable Energy: Wind, Solar, Biomass, Hydropower and Geothermal Energy
- Smart Savings: The Benefits of Buying Out of Season
- How to prepare for a house clearance, a few tips from experts
- Expert and Little Known Tips for Limestone Floor Maintenance
- Top Furniture: Discover the Best of Deutsch Design
- Spring Clean Like a Pro
- Spring into Clean: Transform Your Home with Diamond Home Support Barking
- Spring Cleaning Magic: Unveiling a Fresher Home
- Top Cleaning Tips for the Spring
- The Lemon: Nature's Remarkable Cleaning Marvel
- Why Tree Removal is Essential for Home Safety
- The Dos and Don'ts of DIY Pressure Washing: Expert Tips and Tricks
- Are Silver Travertine Tiles Better Than Other Alternatives? Know How!
- Rustic woodgrain farmhouse cottage with vintage carved barn doors
- Ultimate Guide to Versatile and Secure Storage Cabinets with Locks: A Functional and Practical Solution for Every Space
- The Ultimate Guide to Investing in a Home Lift
- holistic garden sanctuary, buddha statues
- Vintage rustic wood credenzas
- Nature carved Barn Doors
- 7 things you must know before building, extending or renovating your home.
- The Impact of Electrical Upgrades on Home Resale Value in Australia
- Rodent-Proofing Your Home: Tips and Tricks
- How Much Does House Removal Cost in Australia? Understanding Your Moving Budget
- Advantages of Using Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles at Home and Commercial Places
- Culinary Chronicles: A Journey Through Kitchen Renovations
- The Advantages of Using a Professional Cleaner in Liverpool
- Crafting Culinary Sanctuaries: The Poetic Essence of Kitchen Remodeling
- The Importance of Using Professional Tilers for Regrouting Bathroom Tiles
- Making Eco-Conscious Decisions in Home Renovations