Geothermal heat exchange is like stealing from the earth below you, you rebel!
After working for several years with geothermal energy pioneer James Bose at Oklahoma State University, entrepreneur Gerald McClain has developed a new geothermal heating and cooling unit suitable for homes that uses up to 2-3 times less power than conventional electric heaters.
Heat pumps work as a fridge in reverse
Heat pumps work as a fridge in reverse they use electrical power to transfer heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. A geothermal heat pump is a central heating and/or cooling system that pumps heat to/or from the terrain. It uses the earth as a heat source (in the winter months) or a heat sink (in the summer months). You’ll probably see similar units being touted in new LEEDS-certified construction.
The installation prices are higher than conventional systems (close to $45,000 decreased by a 30 per cent with federal tax credits), but the difference is usually returned in energy cost savings in three to ten years. The geothermal pump units are among the most energy efficient technologies for providing HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) and water heating.
The Gerald McClain’s prototype geothermal system is based on:
- Six one inch diameter pipes sunk 300 feet into the soft red clay below his home
- A water antifreeze mix in the pipes that picks up the ground’s constant 62 degree F. temperature
- Three heat pumps in the attic that use a small electric powered compressor to heat or cool the home
The electricity for the pumps costs about $100 monthly, much less than the normal heating and cooling costs in the area.
A well-controlled heat pump unit not only will help save energy and will not blow dust into the house too, improving indoor air quality. Indoor dust can pose health risks, in particular to young children. New data (As published in the epa.gov site in September last year) shows that indoor dust is highly polluted by persistent and endocrine disrupting chemicals (such as poly-chlorinated biphenyls).
Heat pumps get energy performance by transferring heat around as opposed to liberating it. This is not to say there is no air motion with a heat pump, but the heat transfer minimizes that process. So does the lack of a cold-cycle as it exists in many common furnaces, which also acts to blow dust through the house.
The author – Lorie Wampler publishes articles for the residential heat pumps blog. It’s a non-profit site concentrated on her personal knowledge with ac to reduce energy consumption and improve indoor air quality. With this she would like to increase the awareness on eco-friendly tips for the home and change the public conception of energy efficiency.
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