How does geothermal heating work

Though geothermal heating has been proposed as a potential technology to clear up the worldwide energy crisis, many of us are not aware as to how does geothermal heating system work. In this heating system, air is circulated from within the Earth’s surface to heat or cool a house.

Geothermal heat pertains to heat kept within the Earth’s surface. The term geothermal springs from the Greek words, geo for Earth and thermos for heat. As per evidences, heat energy in the deep underground results from the rot of radioactive particles and assimilation of solar heat. The average temperature of geothermal heat is fifty – 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This geothermal energy can be used as an alternative power source for heating houses and household appliances.

Geothermal Heating

Geothermal heating is an complicated leading edge technology implemented for clearing up the worldwide energy crisis. It makes use of geothermal energy for heating or cooling applications. As of now, it has succeeded in providing more than 0.07 p.c of the global power usage. In a geothermal heating system, the heat power contained inside the Earth’s surface is utilized for heating purposes. It’s also referred to as ground source heat pump. The standard geothermal heating system has the capacity to heat up a building without other heating appliances. Let’s see in a nutshell how does geothermal heating system work.

Working of Geothermal Heating System

For better understanding of the working of a geothermal heating system, first let’s discuss about its main components. In this heating system, there are 3 primary parts, particularly, a geothermal heat pump, ground loop system and a distribution system. The geothermal heat pump is installed within the house or property, while the ground loops or pipes are configured under the Earth’s crust at a specific depth. The depth of the piping depends upon the possibility of geothermal heat in the particular area.

How does a ground source heat pump work

The pipes of the ground loop are connected to the geothermal heat pump and the distribution system is configured as specified in the obligation of the user. The heat pump forces a liquid refrigerant or cool water into the pipes of the ground loop, which is then circulated underground. The refrigerant is warmed up naturally due to geothermal heating inside the Earth’s surface. The heated water is circulated back to the heat pump that exchanges the heat by employing a heat exchanger. This heat exchanger then circulates warm air inside the house via the distribution system.

Speaking about the uses of geothermal heating system in warmer months, this may be operated for cooling a home like air conditioners. The working principle of the system is reversed so that heat exchanger now supplies cool air in the house. For setting the specified temperature, an electronic thermostat is configured in the system, which heats or cools the house accordingly . This is in brief an answer to how does a geothermal heating system work.

Since the heat exchanger is operated by using electricity, the final working of geothermal heating system consumes some amount of energy. Nevertheless, it is terribly inexpensive to use geothermal heating in comparison to other heating systems. Geothermal heating system is more successful in areas that lie close to the plate tectonic limits. Over these regions, the heat-laden magma often rises near to the earth’s surface. In such cases, geothermal heating can be effectively used for heating water.

One of the major advantages of geothermal heating is that it is renewable and eco-friendly. It is replaceable since heat trapped inside the Earth’s surface can be used for both heating or cooling purposes. Also, unlike any other traditional heating appliances, operation of geothermal heating system doesn’t emit toxic gases or pollutants.