Geothermal heat pumps are one of the most eco friendly ways to heat and cool your home. To understand this statement, we first need to understand how heat pumps work.
How a Heat Pump Works
Heat pumps work by moving heat from one place to another. In a geothermal heat pump’s case, this means moving heat from the warm earth, into your home. The earth’s heat is provided by a combination of solar energy and heat coming from the core of the earth. There is more heat available than we’ll ever use, making the heat renewable and consistent. We’ll never deplete it and harvesting it results in no green house gas emissions. This means geothermal heat pumps are using renewable energy, making them very eco friendly.
Eliminate Oil or Natural Gas Use and Reduce Electricity Use
Geothermal heat pumps require only electricity to run. This allows you to have heating and cooling without consuming any oil or natural gas, as long as the electricity used comes from a green energy source like photovoltaic panels or a green power utility. On top of that, geothermal heat pumps are the most efficient electrically driven heating and cooling device on the market today. You’ll save about 75% on your electricity usage if converting from electric baseboard heat. By switching to a geothermal heat pump, you can eliminate your oil or natural gas consumption and also dramatically reduce your electricity consumption, all of which contributes to reducing your carbon footprint.
Long Lived Parts Reduce Waste
The energy supply source of a heat pump is accessed via a heat exchanger consisting of a series of very high quality plastic pipes that are buried in the ground. These pipes contain a special antifreeze solution, which together form a sealed heat transfer system with a life span rivaling the life of the home. Operational costs incurred by having to replace the ground loop are rare. The heat pump itself can last up to 25 years or more without needing to be replaced. The air filters can also be reused.
Zero Emissions
As mentioned above, geothermal heat pumps are a closed system. The refrigeration circuit is factory sealed with ozone friendly R410a refrigerant and will not need to be recharged. The refrigerant can be recovered at the end of the heat pump’s life, which minimizes depletion of the ozone layer. There are no CO2 emissions directly associated with geothermal heat pumps at your home.
