| Reducing Your Carbon Footprint |
| In terms of carbon dioxide emissions, installing a Geo DirectTM geothermal system is roughly equivalent to taking two cars off the road, or planting about 750 trees. Heating and cooling buildings uses a great deal of energy and contributes to a large proportion of the carbon dioxide that is accelerating global warming. Widespread use of geothermal heating and cooling will therefore contribute substantially to slowing and reducing climate change. |
| Geothermal heating and cooling |
| Geothermal heating and cooling uses electricity as an energy source, and electricity generation does have environmental consequences. It is clear, however, that the emissions created by electricity production are more easily controlled than the emissions created by individual buildings that burn fossil fuels. Furthermore, since DX geothermal is a particularly efficient technology (near 400% efficiency), the amount of electricity used is relatively small. |
| Zero-energy structures |
| Zero-energy structures and DX geothermal
Geothermal is an ideal early step toward a zero-energy building. Along with improving building insulation, geothermal heating and cooling should be installed before installing photovoltaic solar panels, since it reduces the building’s consumption of electrical energy—and photovoltaic solar panels are still very costly. |
| Occupant health |
| When you don’t use fossil fuel-based heating in your building, you are reducing both particulate pollution and carbon-based gases. Particulate pollution has often been implicated in cardiac and stroke problems as well as in respiratory diseases such as asthma. You are also reducing carbon-based gases in the building when you stop burning fossil fuels. Carbon monoxide is, of course, directly toxic to occupants. It is less well known, but indirectly suggested by research, that increased concentrations of carbon dioxide can provide a favorable environment for the development of some types of cancer cells. Finally, mold spores and dust can set off various allergic reactions. Since the Geo DirectTM system, when properly used, reduces dust and mold from the outside, the system can help prevent such reactions. |
Applications of Geothermal Heat Pumps
Geothermal heat pumps have many applications for homes and businesses. They not only heat and cool work and living spaces, but they can also heat hot water for domestic and commercial use, and regulate the temperature of swimming pools.
This section of our website discusses the application of geothermal heat pumps in homes and businesses, swimming pools, and schools and other municipal buildings.
Homes and Smaller Commercial Buildings
Throughout the country, from the hottest to the coldest regions, geothermal energy can heat your home in the coldest nights of winter and cool it in the hottest days of summer. You can provide geothermal heat to your home through your existing forced hot water systems, or through your existing air conditioning ducts. If your home doesn't have air ducts and you want cooling in summer, you can install them. In older homes, "mini-duct" systems, which are threaded through existing space in ceilings and walls, can be used. These systems provide even heat and cooling and protect against the growth of mold in humid climates.
During periods that require cooling, your geothermal heat pump will use the excess energy to pre-heat your home's hot water to 105 degrees Fahrenheit at no additional cost, substantially reducing your hot water heating costs. During the heating season, some of the heat energy from the ground is also diverted to your hot water tank.
The initial costs of installation can be reduced through tax incentives, power company rebates, renewable energy grants, and low cost loans guaranteed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A comprehensive federal and by-state list of incentives is available at the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency web site: http://www.dsireusa.org. Your GeoDirect™ dealer can help you with all these possibilities.
A recent study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed that DX geothermal systems generally have the lowest life-cycle cost of all systems available today. The study also shows that these systems have the lowest negative impact on our environment. Moreover, consumers rate their comfort and satisfaction with geothermal heating and cooling systems higher than all others. While a higher initial investment is required, the investment is paid back through low energy bills (enhancing property resale value), excellent family safety, and sustained comfort—and the satisfaction of knowing that a positive contribution to our environment is being made.
Schools and Other Public Buildings
According to the US Department of Energy, more than 600 schools nationwide have installed geothermal heat pumps to provide their heating and cooling needs. With their proven lower operating and maintenance costs, energy efficiency and superior classroom comfort, geothermal heat pumps are a great choice for school applications. The schools with geothermal systems have energy costs about half those of schools with conventional heating and cooling equipment.
Why use geothermal heating and cooling in schools?
- If every school district that needed to replace heating and cooling systems over the next 10 years decided to install a geothermal system, the total energy savings over that time would exceed $11 billion.
- Schools now using geoexchange systems save more than $25 million in energy costs—funds that can be reallocated for books, computers, teacher salaries and other needs.
- Since geoexchange systems burn no fossil fuels and use much less electricity than other technologies, their use slashes greenhouse gas emissions. The 600 U.S. schools that have already adopted geoexchange have helped reduce annual emissions by:
- Close to 120 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2);
- More than 900,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide (SO2); and
- More than 425,000 pounds of nitric oxide (NOx).
- The electricity required to power one million homes for one year would be saved if every school that could use geoexchange systems did so.
- Replacing conventional equipment with geoexchange systems in all applicable schools would provide benefits equal to:
- Planting 8 million acres of trees;
- Reducing the need for 61 million barrels of oil;
- Converting 37 million cars to zero-emission vehicles; and
- Saving 2.6 billion gallons of gasoline.
The facts that argue in favor of using geothermal heating and cooling in schools apply, of course, to other municipal buildings as well.
Commercial and Domestic Hot Water
Surprise Savings
Heating water for industrial and commercial purposes is an expensive proposition. Cement, for example, must be kept within a range of temperatures for proper installation. Many industrial processes require hot water. Hotels, office buildings and other structures use large quantities of hot water. The amount of money spent annually (and the amount of fossil fuels burned) for hot water even by individual homeowners is substantial. For this reason, it makes sense to use geothermal technology to assist in the heating of hot water.
Geothermal energy is most efficient for heating water to a temperature of about 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The typical home keeps its hot water at a temperature of 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Since geothermal energy is relatively inexpensive, the energy used to heat ground or reservoir water to 105 is cheap energy. In the summer, it is free to homeowners because it is a natural byproduct of the geothermal cooling process.
Whether for commercial or domestic use, geothermal water heating reduces the annual cost of heating water a great deal.
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Swimming Pool Temperature Control
Swimming pool temperature control is, in many parts of our country, a source of considerable expense. Most swimming pools are heated with natural gas or propane heaters, and their heat loss during cooler nights can be great, requiring repeated reheating. Although it may not be obvious, some parts of our nation are so hot during the summer that outdoor swimming pools require cooling; we are aware of swimming pool owners who add large blocks of ice to their pools to make them more pleasant to swim in.
Direct exchange (DX) geothermal heat pumps are an excellent and cost-effective substitute for conventional burners to heat (and, where necessary, to cool) swimming pools. While initial installation costs are higher than the cost of conventional pool heating systems, the heat pump saves money in the long run. |
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