Geo Wizdom

Geothermal energy - hot and very cool. Geothermal is heat from within the earth. Geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat).

Unlike conventional systems, Geothermal systems do not burn fossil fuel to generate heat, they simply transfer heat to and from the Earth to provide a more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly method of heating and cooling. Geothermal systems work with nature. I've been following a geothermal installation in my neighborhood and it is fascinating. Geothermal Basics

Geothermal, also known as Geo Exchange and Ground Source, is well proven, reliable and safe technology. Geothermal systems use the Earth's natural energy storage capability to heat & cool buildings and provide domestic hot water. The Earth is a huge energy storage device that absorbs 47% of the Sun's energy. This is more than 500 times more energy than mankind needs each year, in the form of clean renewable energy. The temperature underground remains at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit, so you are heating or cooling from a base temp of 55 degrees.
A Geothermal system, which typically consists of an indoor geothermal heat pump unit and a buried Earth loop, capitalizes on these constant temperatures to provide a virtually endless supply of "free" energy. The application of geothermal heating/cooling, also known as ground source heat pumps, has been named "the most energy-efficient and environmentally sensitive of all space conditioning systems", by the Environmental Protection Agency. By tapping this steady flow of heat from the earth in the winter, and displacing heat in the earth in the summer, a geothermal heat pump can save homeowners 40 to 70 percent in heating costs and 30 to 50 percent in cooling costs compared to conventional systems, - they save money in the long run but are more expensive to install than the conventional systems.
Geothermal systems work with nature, not against it. Plus! they are said to be so quiet and so inexpensive to operate and maintain, you'll forget they are there. I am comforted by the sound of my furnace kicking in and cranking up the heat on freezing mornings, but I'd probably be more comforted (and comfortable) if I had a geothermal system quietly, efficienty working away .
Links:
Geothermal site for Kids

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