It’s no secret that geothermal heating and cooling systems are good for your building, your budget, and the environment by utilizing thermal energy storage.
Thermal energy storage is a system where the battery is always charged, so to speak. It captures heat energy from the building to use when cooling is needed and returns heat to the building when warmth is required.
The movement of heat energy to and from a building is important in the heating and cooling process. A properly engineered geothermal system takes into account the entire building from the standpoint of heat sources and sinks, and efficiently moves heat that already exists throughout the building.
It is commonly understood that geothermal systems move heat from the earth to the building when there is a heating need and from the building to the ground during cooling. However, there are other ways heat can be moved around that maximize energy savings and often reduce the overall system’s capital costs. Do you know how that’s done?
Most commercial buildings are cooling dominant. This means that over the course of a year there will be more heat energy rejected than absorbed. If the amount of heat rejected can be balanced with what will be needed later, the size and cost of the outside heat exchanger can be greatly reduced.
How can this excess heat energy be used? Many commercial buildings have a significant need for domestic hot water – including bathrooms, locker rooms, kitchens, and laundry. Geothermal heat pumps can use the heat absorbed from space conditioning to generate nearly free hot water. Why buy more energy to produce hot water when excess heat energy is being wasted?
Additionally, excess building heat energy can be used to generate the hot water needed for radiant and snow melt systems. With radiant systems, heat can be moved from the core areas of a building, where cooling may be required year-round, to the perimeter areas of the building where there may be heat loss through walls and windows. With snow melt systems, the excess heat energy can be used to melt snow and ice on sidewalks and driveways.
In situations where a building is heating dominant, there may be additional opportunities to capture heat and move it to the building for space conditioning or hot water generation.
When excess heat energy is generated, but not immediately needed, it can be moved to the ground and stored for later use. What kinds of heat movement does your building need? Are you taking advantage of this free resource?
The use of geothermal technology helps positively impact the health of the environment through the reduction of fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Geothermal systems do not use the combustion process for heating and cooling, dramatically reducing the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning. Consequently, most geothermal systems emit close to zero carbon emissions, helping all of us move closer to a sustainable society and a cleaner tomorrow
When it comes to heating and cooling a building, you want the best system for you, your company, your community and the planet. The best system is the one that utilizes the resources Mother Nature already provided.
Geothermal heating and cooling systems take advantage of the energy we already have in the ground. These systems maximize the energy, conserve our resources, and lower the costs.
Using this preexisting and natural occurring renewable energy source reduces our use and dependence on fossil fuels. When properly leveraged, geothermal energy provides a far more stable and cost-effective source of energy.
Why squander funds for environmentally hazardous fossil fuels when you are standing on a naturally existing and sustainable energy source? Invest wisely and move this energy from the ground to your building.
Sit back, relax and let Mother Nature provide your heating and cooling the way she intended – with geothermal.