A Geothermal Heat Pump (GHP) takes advantage of the solar
energy stored beneath the earth’s surface. It is an electrically run system that when tapped into the earth,
draws heat in the winter and cooling in the summer.
A GHP absorbs about 70% of its energy from the earth.
The balance of energy is only required to move the existing
energy to the space or structure.
A GHP is similar to a refrigerator, which moves room
temperature heat from the interior cabinet and releases
that heat to the exterior. A heat pump does not create heat but
moves heat from one area to another.
This allows for tremendous savings
when compared to a conventional
system. A GHP distributes this energy indoors
via forced air, hydronic (water) or both
air and water. This provides heating,
cooling or warm water for residential
and commercial applications.
All relatively equal in efficiency, the loop chosen for a specific installation will depend on the site conditions (terrain, soil/rock), size of system among other factors. A qualified installer will determine which is the proper loop for the specific situation.
The ground loop often consists of piping buried beneath the ground. This pipe is filled with an antifreeze solution and circulates from the heat pump to the earth where it absorbs energy (heat). This heat is then pumped back to the heat pump where it is compressed to a more useable temperature and released into the structure. The cooled antifreeze solution is then sent back to the earth and the process is repeated. In the summer this process is reversed. The heat is absorbed from the structure and sent to the loop where the energy is released into the earth.
Another loop or energy source is an open loop. This system works under the same principles as the closed loop. One significant difference is that water is not re-circulated. Water is taken from a well and piped directly through the heat pump itself and then discharged into a second well or discharge field. This type of loop can only be installed where there is an adequate supply of useable water and open discharge is feasible.
The ground loop often consists of piping buried beneath the ground. This pipe is filled with an antifreeze solution and circulates from the heat pump to the earth where it absorbs energy (heat). This heat is then pumped back to the heat pump where it is compressed to a more useable temperature and released into the structure. The cooled antifreeze solution is then sent back to the earth and the process is repeated. In the summer this process is reversed. The heat is absorbed from the structure and sent to the loop where the energy is released into the earth. 
