Frequently Asked Questions About Geothermal
Amongst many environmental issues occurring around the world today, geothermal heating and cooling systems are gaining popularity in the way of which they work with the environment instead of against it. Keeping the environment around us clean, instead of polluting it is highly important, as is conserving energy, and the geothermal “green” technologies do just that.
Not only does geothermal heating and cooling benefit the environment, it saves the customer money on their utility bills and reduces energy usage. To give the customer stress-free operation, the geothermal systems are proven safe and reliable. For 27 years, thousands of geothermal systems have been installed across the continent. Geothermal heating and cooling will benefit customers for future generations to come.
- How does a geothermal heating and cooling system work?
Temperatures four to six feet below the Earth’s surface usually remain relatively the same year round, as opposed to temperatures outside, which change regularly. A geothermal system commonly consists of an indoor unit and a buried earth loop. The way the system operates is astounding - in the winter, the fluid circulates through the earth loop, absorbs the stored heat, and then carries it indoors. Once indoors, the indoor component compresses heat to a higher temperature, and then distributes it through the building. In the summer, the reverse occurs, as the system pulls the heat from inside, and carries it to the cooler soil, through the earth loop. Geothermal systems benefit from the consistent temperatures as they help provide the customer with practically “free” energy.
- What makes a geothermal system different from ordinary systems?
Geothermal systems are unlike any other as they do not burn fossil fuel to generate heat. They transfer the heat to and from the earth to create a more environmentally friendly and efficient way of operation. It is also more affordable. The geothermal heating and cooling method has numerous benefits when compared to other heating and cooling systems. Typically, to operate the unit’s fan and compressor pump, the only energy used is electrical power.
- What are the components of a geothermal system?
The geothermal system contains the heat-pump unit, the liquid heat-exchange medium (open or closed loop), and the air-delivery system (ductwork).
- How efficient is a geothermal system?
Since geothermal systems do not burn fossil fuels to generate energy, they dispense three to four units of energy for every one unit used to operate the system. Geothermal systems are three to five more times efficient than many other high-efficiency heating and cooling systems.
- Is the efficiency rating actual or just a manufacturer’s average?
Every heating and cooling system has a rated efficiency from a US governmental agency. The type of rating that fossil fuel furnaces are given is a percentage efficiency rating, while natural gas, propane and fuel oil furnaces have efficiency ratings based on laboratory conditions. Factors including flue gas heat losses and cycling losses caused by oversizing, blower fan electrical usage, etc need to be considered in order to receive a correct efficiency rating. All types of heat pumps, including geothermal heat pumps, obtain an efficiency rating according to the coefficient of performance, or the COP.
The COP determines how much energy the system produces, in contrast to how much energy is actually used. The majority of heat pumps have a COP of between 3 and 4.5 (WaterFurnace’s Envision Series is rated up to 5), meaning for every one unit of energy that is used to power the system, the WaterFurnace geothermal heat pumps supply 3-5 units of heat. To show the vast difference between efficiency, a fossil fuel furnace may be given a 78-90 percent efficiency rate, whereas the WaterFurnace geothermal heat pumps would be given a 400 percent efficiency rate. Geothermal heat pump manufacturers and electric utilities use a computerized system to correctly determine the operating efficiency of a system for your home or building.
- Do geothermal systems require much maintenance?
No, geothermal systems that are installed by a qualified WaterFurnace dealer require virtually no maintenance! The buried earth loop, if installed correctly, is built to last for generations, and the indoor WaterFurnace is kept inside to be protected from rough weather conditions.
- What does geothermal mean for the environment?
The WaterFurnace geothermal systems have infinite benefits for the environment. They do not exude any greenhouse gases, which have been connected to global warming, acid rain and other environmental dangers. Another benefit to the environment is the R-410A refrigerant, which is a performance-enhancing refrigerant that will not harm the Earth’s ozone layer. In the unlikely event of a leak, the WaterFurnace Earth Loop Antifreeze will not damage the environment. Geothermal heating and cooling systems are the optimum systems for heating and cooling needs, but for also protecting the environment.
The first recorded geothermal system was in 1912
About 500,000 geothermal systems have been installed since 1980.
If 1 in 12 Ontario homes installed geothermal systems it would equal the output of three new power plants.
The ground absorbs 46% of the sun's energy which represents 500 times more than our energy needs
Geothermal saves more than 14 million barrels of crude oil per year.
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We are here to answer your questions about Geothermal and WaterFurnace. Email us or call us at 519-986-3307
