Where Can Geothermal Energy Be Found?
Resources for geothermal energy range from shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface, sometimes even to extremely high temperatures of molten rocks (magma).
How does it Work
The Geothermal Energy heat pumps tap into the shallow ground where temperatures are between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit to heat and cool buildings. The way this is done is the geothermal heat pump system consists of heat pump, an air delivery system (ductwork) and a heat exchanger- a system of pipes burned in the shallow ground near the building. In the winter the heat pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and pumps it into the indoor air delivery system, in the summer the process is reversed. The heat pump moves heat from the indoor air into the heat exchanger, this can also provide a free source of hot water.
Cost
A geothermal heat pump system can cost roughly $2,500 per ton of capacity according to the California Energy Commission
What else that must be kept in mind is the cost of drilling, the way the system will be positioned, whether it will be vertically deep underground or horizontally a shorter distance below ground. The drilling can cost anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000.
Although geothermal costs more than conventional oil or natural gas dependent systems, the cost of actually running the heat pumps is 30 to 40 percent less than those fossil fuel run systems. Geothermal heat pumps are said to last between 25 to 50 years.
Resources for geothermal energy range from shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface, sometimes even to extremely high temperatures of molten rocks (magma).
How does it Work
The Geothermal Energy heat pumps tap into the shallow ground where temperatures are between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit to heat and cool buildings. The way this is done is the geothermal heat pump system consists of heat pump, an air delivery system (ductwork) and a heat exchanger- a system of pipes burned in the shallow ground near the building. In the winter the heat pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and pumps it into the indoor air delivery system, in the summer the process is reversed. The heat pump moves heat from the indoor air into the heat exchanger, this can also provide a free source of hot water.
Cost
A geothermal heat pump system can cost roughly $2,500 per ton of capacity according to the California Energy Commission
What else that must be kept in mind is the cost of drilling, the way the system will be positioned, whether it will be vertically deep underground or horizontally a shorter distance below ground. The drilling can cost anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000.
Although geothermal costs more than conventional oil or natural gas dependent systems, the cost of actually running the heat pumps is 30 to 40 percent less than those fossil fuel run systems. Geothermal heat pumps are said to last between 25 to 50 years.