Geothermal and Air Source Heat Pumps - Essay Example

It has become the need of the day to consider replacing the gas boilers and fossil fuel burning oil with some other heating systems. It can be done either by supplementing traditional energy generating systems with solar photovoltaic technology or super efficient solar thermal or by replacing current systems with efficient heating systems, such as, geothermal and air source heat pump (The Energy Conservation Group 2013). In this paper, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two systems when being used to provide a heating system in a new home.

We will start by exploring the technical characteristics of the two systems and their efficiency in providing both heating and hot water for a typical family home. 2. Alternative Heating Systems The alternative heating systems to be dicvsussed in this report include geothermal heating systems and the air source heat pump. Let us discuss the technical and oprational charactistics, advantages, and disadvantages of both of these systems. 2.1 Geothermal Heating Pumps The purpose of geothermal heat pumps is to extract heat from the ground and use it to heat radiators, air heating systems, and the temperature of the water.

“The heart of a typical geothermal system is a ground-source heat pump that cycles water through an underground piping loop” (Henkenius 1998). . Geothermal Heating and Cooling Retrieved from http://www.waterfurnace.com/how-it-works.aspx In geothermal heating systems, there is a loop of pipe buried under the soil which has fluid in it that absorbs the low temperature from the ground. The fluid, after absorbing the temperature, passes through a compressor which serves the role of increasing that temperature.

The increased temperature heats water which can be used for household purposes. The ground-loop fluid, after increasing the temperature, goes back to into the soil to absorb more ground energy. In this way, the geothermal heating pump continues to produce hot or cold water. Usually, the loop is almost a couple of meters deep and the structure is flat or coiled in trenches. However, when the space is less, it can be installed in a vertical position down into the ground. In this position, the depth of the loop is about 100 metres for homes (Energy Saving Trust 2013).

Geothermal Heat Pump Retrieved from http://www.geothermaladvantages.net/ A geothermal heat pump is different from a conventional heat pump in that it does not need to create heat to change the temperature of water, rather it uses soil heat for the cause which not only reduces the use of energy but also reduces the cost. Geothermal heating pumps use even and stable heat of earth to change the temperature of water. In winters, they are used to raise temperature of water, whereas in summers, they are used to decrease the temperature in accordance with the earth’s temperature.

It is the constant temperature of earth that makes geothermal heat pumps work efficiently for homes. Although they are somewhat more costly than regular heat pumps as far as installation costs are concerned, but they can produce almost 25 to