Geothermal heat pumps are also particularly effective in cold climates because they maintain high efficiency and high output capacity even during winter months in northern states like Minnesota. For example, a Whisper Valley, Texas, neighborhood connected 400 homes to a geothermal heat pump system, which helps to keep their homes cool during extremely hot summer days. They can transition whole communities onto geothermal at a time, creating economies of scale that bring energy costs down for all participants. These larger systems require infrastructure to be installed and maintained, fostering local jobs and growing the clean energy economy. These network systems can achieve more than 500 percent efficiency, meaning for every unit of energy that goes in, five go out. They are particularly effective in network systems that connect multiple buildings through shared piping and which use energy from the ground, wastewater, and ponds, among other sources. In addition to single-family homes and apartments, geothermal heat pumps have been successfully installed at universities, hospitals, commercial office parks, and neighborhoods. Geothermal heat pumps can be scaled up to meet an entire community’s heating and cooling needs. Networked Geothermal: Powering Campuses and Neighborhoods in Hot and Cold Climates Curious if a geothermal heat pump is right for you? The Department of Energy has helpful tips for choosing and installing. Other benefits of geothermal heat pumps include reduced operating and maintenance costs, a quiet and long-lasting system with good humidity control, and less energy demand to support a more resilient electric grid. To dig deeper into the mechanics of how geothermal heat pumps work, check out the EPA’s geothermal heating and cooling technologies webpage. Geothermal power plants produce electricity by using the heat underground to rotate a turbine, and they are primarily used for large-scale grid power, not connected homes and buildings. Geothermal heat pumps are not geothermal power plants. Conventional ductwork is most often used to distribute heated or cooled air from the heat pump throughout the building. The heat pump uses electricity to pull heat from the ground during colder months and works in reverse to dump heat into the ground when it’s hot out, acting as an air-conditioner. These ground loops can be buried in horizontal trenches just below the earth’s surface or in deeper vertical boreholes, depending on location and density. Systems typically consist of a heat pump that replaces your furnace and is connected to pipes or a ground loop that contains heat-transferring liquid. Geothermal heat pumps efficiently transfer heat stored in the ground to your home when it’s cold outside and vice versa during hotter months, providing year-round comfort and energy savings. And because heat pumps simply move heat and don’t rely on combustion, like a gas furnace or water heater, they can reduce energy costs by up to 50 percent and produce zero direct emissions that contribute to air pollution and climate change. Since geothermal is an abundant and renewable resource just beneath our feet, geothermal heat pumps are considered some of the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly HVAC and water-heating systems available. It harnesses the constant temperature below the earth’s surface to provide heating, cooling, and often hot water. Geothermal Heat Pumps: The BasicsĪ geothermal heat pump is a clean, renewable technology that helps a home or building stay comfortable in any season. One key technology that has received less attention but has untapped potential to bring the immense benefits of clean heating and cooling to millions of people is the geothermal heat pump, also commonly referred to as a ground-source heat pump. With new tax credits and upfront rebates in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA - the climate bill passed in 2022), the stage is set for further ramping up equitable building electrification. In the United States, heat pump sales outpaced gas furnaces for the first time in decades. Sales in Europe last year rose to a record high with a 37 percent increase from 2021. For an introduction to heat pumps and why they are viewed as one of the best tools available to decarbonize our built environment and confront the climate crisis, start with RMI’s Heat Pump 101 blog.
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