Geothermal heating is an idea that has been around for a long time. But what is it and how does it really work?
Steam created from deep underground heat sources or natural hot springs has been used as a clean energy heating source for years.
If you have a dog, you’ve probably noticed how they like to dig a hole in the ground to lie down in on hot days. Even those few inches on the ground are cooler than the surrounding air.
They instinctively know what many home renovators are discovering. Just below the surface, the ground maintains a constant temperature throughout the year. Usually this temperature is cooler than the air temperature on hot days and warmer on cold days.
As energy costs rise, more and more people are taking advantage of this simple fact to use this renewable energy source to heat and cool their homes. There are numerous advantages.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency
- Geothermal heating and cooling is the most cost effective, energy efficient, and environmentally clean heating and cooling system available in the United States.
- Replacing a regular HVAC system with a geothermal system results in savings equivalent to planting 750 trees, 3/4 acre of rainforest, or not driving your car 140,000 miles.
- The average house generates more greenhouse gas emissions than the average car.
- Currently, more than 9% of our countries’ energy use in the United States is used to heat and cool our homes.
- These alternative energy systems are at least three times more efficient than fossil fuel systems.
This alternative energy source can be used to create significant cost savings for the average homeowner and huge benefits for our environment.
So how does it work?
The earth is a huge reservoir of thermal energy from the sun and the molten lava at the core of our planet. A geothermal system simply transfers this heat from the ground to the house in the winter and the heat from your house to the ground in the summer.
Because heat is transferred rather than created, the systems operate at much higher efficiencies than normal fossil fuel-powered systems.
With rising energy costs and growing interest in clean energy, using this alternative energy source can not only save you money now and for years to come, it will also create added value for your largest investment, your home.