Why choose a geothermal heating system? | csmonitor.com
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/11/03/why-choose-a-geothermal-...
In a nutshell, geothermal energy consists of using the constant temperatures stored naturally underground to heat and cool your house.
You drill a few wells, run pipes through them, and then circulate a liquid through those pipes. As the liquid travels through those pipes underground, it heats up to at about 55 degrees F. – the steady temperature that the earth naturally generates between 10 feet and 300 feet down. You then hook those pipes up to a heat pump in your basement.
In the winter, the heat pump compresses the liquid to increase its temperature to about 75 degrees F., which is then used to heat the house. In the summer, the circulating 55 degree F., temperatures are used to air condition the house.
You do need an energy source to run the heat pump – you can use electricity or natural gas, but other than that, the main source of your heat and air conditioning is the ground beneath you.
