Being a small business is tough.  Trying to do the right thing and be green can make it even tougher.  But that’s what we are trying to do in our new building.  We have now committed to a geothermal heating and air conditioning system for the office.

A geothermal heat pump (see the pump being installed in the picture on the right) system is a central heating and/or air conditioning system that actively pumps heat to or from the ground. It uses the earth as either a source of heat in the winter or as a coolant in the summer.   In contrast, an air-source heat pump draws heat from the colder outside air and thus requires more energy.

Geothermal heat pumps circulate a carrier fluid (usually a water/antifreeze mix) through pipes buried in the ground. As the fluid circulates underground it absorbs heat from the ground and, on its return, the now warmer fluid passes through the heat pump which uses electricity to extract the heat from the fluid. The re-chilled fluid is sent back through the ground thus continuing the cycle. The heat extracted and that generated by the heat pump appliance as a byproduct is used to heat the house. Switching the direction of flow, the same system can be used to circulate the cooled water through the house for cooling in the summer months.

Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy that encourages conservation of natural resources. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, geo-exchange systems save homeowners 30-70 percent in heating costs, and 20-50 percent in cooling costs, compared to conventional systems.

The system cost is much higher than conventional systems (for our building it is approximately double), but the difference is usually returned in energy savings in 3–10 years.   If deployed on a large scale, this technology may help alleviate energy costs and global warming.