Monday, October 24, 2011

How Geothermal Systems work

Nowadays we seem to be in a fix. We are trying to minimize our carbon footprints on one side and at the same time trying to satisfy our energy needs on the other. One of the possible ways of doing this is by using geothermal energy.
There are three different categories into which geothermal energy can be classified - geothermal heat pumps, direct heating, and electric power generation. In this article we will concentrate on the former. Everyone knows that the temperature increases as we go deeper into the earth. It is around 7600F a the core of the earth. We are of course not looking to tap heat energy at this temperature. Our aim is to make use of the heat available below the surface of the earth. You can untilize this energy to both heat and cool your business or home.
There are different types of geothermal systems available in the market. The first system that you should know is the open loop system. This system makes use of a pond, lake, or any underground aquifer both as a heating and cooling source. You can make use of an open loop system provided your system is close to one.
The second system being used is the closed loop system. This system as suggested by its name is a closed system. It makes use of a combination of an environmental friendly anti-freeze and water inside a closed system. Vertical and horizontal loop systems are also there, but to understand them you must first understand how the geothermal heating as well as cooling system works. You can find that the closed loop vertical system is more commonly found and used in the residential areas. Here a series of pipe systems are buried in the land surrounding the building. A series of holes is also dug for this pipe. The pipe will run up to a depth ranging anything from 100 feet to around 300 feet.
The mixture of water and anti-freeze is pumped into this pipe system. The geothermal energy heats this mixture during winter and the same earth lowers the temperature of this mixture during summer. The horizontal loop system follows the same principle. The difference is that the pipes run horizontally across the ground and the pipes are buried at a more shallow depth. This means that the horizontal loop system will need more land for installing it. Thus in densely populated areas vertical loop system is more popular. This system can lower your water heating bill up to 35%.
Installing a geothermal system will initially cost a lot, but you will recover the money through the saving you make over the years.

Author recommends to check out more about Geothermal Systems Minneapolis and Geothermal Heating & Cooling St Paul.

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