Americans usually rely on two familiar systems to heat homes or buildings:
- fuel-powered furnaces or boilers (which burn gas, oil, or propane) and electric-powered air-source heat pumps or baseboard radiant heat. However, these traditional systems present two drawbacks.
- First, even highly efficient models pollute the environment because fuel must be burned to produce heat.
- Second, energy prices are rising.
Accordingly, people want cost-effective long-term heating and cooling options.
- Geothermal systems are one such option, they are being installed in homes, businesses, and schools across the country.
What is a “geothermal” system?
- It’s a system takes advantage of the Earth’s ability to store vast amounts of heat in the soil (“geo” means earth and “thermal” refers to heat).
- This heat energy is maintained at a constant temperature (50°F to 70°F depending on latitude) in the soil and near-surface rocks.
- In Ohio, the soil maintains a 50°F temperature beginning approximately four feet down, well past the winter frost line.
- Geothermal heating systems, also called ground-source heat pumps, “capture” this steady supply of heat energy and “move” it from the Earth and through a home or building. Basically, once installed, a home or building owner will use much less energy, save money each month, and reduce the amount of pollution produced by fossil fuel systems. In Ohio, for example, many area schools & colleges recently began installing geothermal systems. Schools across Ohio and the country have faced skyrocketing energy bills and they are searching for cost-effective alternatives.
- Geothermal systems represent a proven option.
- They can heat and cool your home and heat the water.
- In addition, they utilize a renewable energy source—the Earth’s naturally-occurring heat energy.