Installing GSHP for everyday energy use

The heat of the earth can be trapped to fulfill domestic or industrial requirements. Not all geographical regions are blessed to make use of the sustainable source. Some countries such as US, Canada and Switzerland get extreme temperature changes and these are using it extensively. To be able to trap it, the temperature and pressure of the ground should be supportive, and one should be able to build a sink for movement of temperature, through buried pipes which saves bills.

Ground source heat pumps can transfer temperatures from ground through a loop that is laid vertically.  These do not require a pump; instead, the use of metal tube (of metals such as copper) can charge it. It can be based on dry steam, flash or binary cycle system, and most of the part of the unit is implemented indoors for protection from external harsh climatic conditions.

Pros and Cons

These methods do not require regular maintenance and can provide energy at a low cost as the competence is predominantly high. These do not suffer from corrosion or degradation where the buried pipes do not need replacement and these have prolonged retention abilities, which help in keeping the place warm in freezing temperatures.  The carbon emitted from such sources is very low and it can even be used for cooling in summers.

There are some drawbacks of these systems – as it can become less efficient in case the external temperature is not supportive of the movement of heat. These can be noisy systems as it contains a fan and may not look attractive on the outside. Sometimes, the cost of implementation, device and material used is very high, and the place where it is installed may need changes or repair work to make it work successfully.

The coils of the units are mostly underground, which can cause other types of issues.  One requires excess floor area for installing the device.  Some of the systems require heating to support it.

These require toxic refrigerants to work. Newest developments find one can use ammonia -an eco friendly refrigerant instead. The report on the use of ammonia was published in a journal by Iranian researchers.

One can not ensure the performance and efficiency as it is highly dependent on weather factors.

Such systems can reduce the energy consumption by more than 40 per cent as compared to air source and these have better electric resistance.

In the US, the government is supporting investments to install these at homes, especially the buildings with multi -family apartments where it targets to reduce emissions by more than 40 per cent by 2030 as compared to 1990 levels, and the state aims to get 50 per cent of energy needs through renewable sources.  The aim is to reduce carbon by 80 per cent by 2050 as it is significant for the environment, health and welfare of the people. Such clean systems have long term benefits as it can improve air quality at homes.

To find out more about GSHP, click 99 Alternatives at (http://www.99alternatives.com).