What Is Geothermal Energy?
Geothermal energy is energy that comes from the soil and rock of the Earth. It is a sustainable, renewable, environmentally friendly energy source used to heat and cool residential homes, commercial buildings, agricultural buildings, and any other structure.
How It Works
- From 5 metres underground and below, the temperature of the soil and rock is constant all year long (eg. 10°C in most southern parts of Canada)
- This means that in winter, the ground is warmer than the air, and in summer it is cooler.
- We can harness this underground temperature and use it to heat and cool our homes and buildings.
- To do this, we drilll boreholes into the ground to depths of 25m to 200m.
- A U-loop (two pipes with a U-bend at the bottom) is inserted into the borehole.
- Water is circulated through the U-loop and absorbs or releases heat.
- A heat-pump inside your building, uses a heat exchanger to transfer heat and cool between the circulated water and your building (the same principle as a radiator or refrigerator).
- The heat is transferred from the water to the air and the air is fed into your building.
- Thermal energy can also be stored in the ground for later use.