Geothermal Power & Heat Pumps
When most people think of geothermal energy they think of massive magma eruptions, or of superheated geysers erupting from the earth. Few people realize that natural heat energy created by the Earth’s core has enormous potential to be tapped for human consumption. More importantly, this form of energy is environmentally friendly and can be generated in your own backyard. In this section we profile companies that sell what are known as Earth energy heat pumps.
One does not need to take a journey to the center of the Earth to get this energy. At about 30 feet into the Earths surface the temperature stays relatively constant. Heat pumps work by carrying heat from one place to another. In warm locations it can take heat down into the ground thus cooling the environment much like a refrigerator. In cold locations heat pumps can transfer heat from the ground into a building.
The process of instillation is also relatively straightforward. A big coil of plastic pipe is attached to the dwelling at one end and buried into the ground at the other. The pipe is filled with a liquid that is an excellent conductor of heat. The liquid takes heat from the ground and carries it into the building. Another set of pipes within the building also has liquid in it. This liquid picks up the heat coming from the pipe coming from outside (think of it as a relay race). The pipe in the building carries the heat to an appliance that will warm up air or water. In the winter the cycle is reversed. The more heat or cooling you need determines how deep the pipe needs to go into the ground.
