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How It Works
 Geothermal systems use a renewable resource, the Earth, which is efficient and non-polluting. It works because it costs less to move heat than to create it. The Earth is like a solar battery absorbing nearly half of the sun's energy, resulting in a relatively constant ground temperature throughout the seasons. This means that you have a steady supply of heat to keep your home comfortable, even in the depths of the coldest winter.
An appropriately designed loop field of HDPE pipe is buried within the ground. An anti-freeze mixture is then circulated throughout the loop, picking up the temperature of the earth, approximately 41° F (5°C). The underground loops connect to the main geothermal unit installed in your house, in turn attached to your home's forced air (or radiant floor) system. As the fluid moves through the heat pump at about 3 gallons per minute for each ton (12,000 BTU - British Thermal Units per hour of heating or cooling), the refrigeration process continuously harvests between 6 - 10 ° F (3 - 4.5 °C) from the loop stream through the vapour compression refrigeration cycle and transfers this heat into the house. The heat is then distributed through the duct work (or radiant floor loops) of a home. In the summer season, this process is reversed automatically for free air conditioning and heat is drawn from inside the house and transferred to the earth.
A single geothermal heat pump will provide heating, air conditioning and hot water for a home. Standard geothermal equipment applications are forced air, attached directly into your home's ventilation system, and/or a water to water (boiler type unit), which connects to a fan coil, radiant floor system or hot water tank.
Systems are uniquely engineered to meet your current or future home's specifications. The loop field itself can come in various configurations:
Pond/Lake Loop
Lot by a lake? This is a perfect set up for a geothermal system. Coiled pipe is placed at the bottom of the lake or pond instead of into the ground. It costs less because there is no digging or major excavating. The high conductivity of water results in even more savings because of the shorter loop field.
Pond Loop photo gallery |
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Horizontal Loop
A horizontal application requires considerable space, and is therefore ideal for acreages or farms. Trenches are dug 8 feet deep and pipe is laid in loop circuits.
Horizontal Loop Photo Gallery |
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Vertical Loop
Vertical loops are used in residential areas or smaller lots, where you simply don't have the option to lay out 300 feet of pipe horizontally. A series of boreholes are drilled in the ground and loops are placed vertically at an average depth of 250 feet (depending on soil conditions).
Vertical Loop Photo Gallery |
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Additional Options
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Radiant Floor Heating
A different kind of pipe can also be placed in the house beneath the floors to provide radiant floor heating. This system requires a water to water geothermal heat pump and would do the work of a conventional boiler in a non-geothermal home. |
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Solar Panels
Augment your geothermal system with solar panels. Alberta has an excellent solar resource and converting that energy to thermal in a flat plate or evacuated tube collector is very easy and efficient. Solar and geothermal systems work very well together in a number of ways. Solar helps reduce the size of the geothermal system while making free hot water. Geothermal reduces the solar system by conveniently storing the extra heat in the loop field until needed.
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Radiant Barrier Panels
95% of the solar gain coming into your home through walls and ceiling can be reduced with TruProtect radiant barrier panels. They are multi-layered, highly energy-efficient reflective sheets that are installed within your ceiling, walls or even floor to create a durable building envelope. Radiant barriers have numerous protective qualities for your home, including protection against EMI-RFI microwave interference, hot and cold temperatures, hail damage, mold, mildew and fungus, fire and smoke damage, and they act as a sound barrier as well. They are cost-effective and easy to install.
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Drain Water Heat Recovery
This device effectively triples the capacity of your hot water system. The heat from waste water leaving your home is transferred back into your hot water tank, with no chance of contaminating your fresh water. Your hot water tank no longer needs to do all the work. The preheated water cuts down on energy requirement, saving about 35-40% of total hot water costs. No more "cool showers" in the morning. The Drain Water Heat Recovery unit becomes a part of your drainage stack and is the same diameter as your stack to avoid any chance of leakage or clogging. |
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