Geothermal heating has been used since the time of the Roman Empire as a way of heating buildings and spas by utilizing renewable energy resources of hot water and steam that exist near the Earth's surface. The ultimate source of geothermal energy is believed to be from the radioactive decay that occurs deep within the Earth’s crust, or Tidal heating from the Moon.
GEOTHERMAL / GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
Heat pumps move heat from one place to another - from outside to inside
a home, for example. That's why they're called "heat pumps." Here's a
simplified version of how a heat pump works:
Studies show that approximately 70 percent of the energy used in a
geothermal heat pump system is renewable energy from the ground. The
earth's constant temperature is what makes geothermal heat pumps one of
the most efficient, comfortable, and quiet heating and cooling
technologies available today. While they may be more costly to install
initially than regular heat pumps, they can produce markedly lower
energy bills - 30 percent to 40 percent lower, according to estimates
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who now includes
geothermal heat pumps in the types of products rated in the EnergyStar®
program. Because they are mechanically simple and outside parts of the
system are below ground and protected from the weather, maintenance
costs are often lower as well.
