Frequently Asked Questions About Geothermal Heat Pumps

What is a geothermal heat pump?

A geothermal heat pump is an electricity powered device that uses the natural heat storage ability of the earth and the earth's groundwater to heat and cool your home or business.

How does it work?

Basically, like any type of heat pump, it moves heat energy from one place to another through the medium of water. Your refrigerator works using the same scientific principle. By using the refrigeration process, geothermal heat pumps remove heat energy stored in the earth or earth's groundwater and transfer it to the home.

How is the heat transferred between the earth and the building?

The earth has the ability to absorb and store heat energy from the sun. To use that stored energy, heat is extracted from the earth through a liquid medium (groundwater or an anti-freeze solution) and is pumped to the heat pump or heat exchanger. There, the heat is used to heat your home or building. In the summer the process is reversed and indoor heat is extracted from the building and transferred to the earth through the same liquid used in the heating process.

Does ONE unit perform both heating and cooling?

One of the things that makes a heat pump so versatile is it's ability to be both a heating and cooling system in one. You can change from one mode to another with a simple flick of a switch on an indoor thermostat. In the cooling mode, a geothermal heat pump takes heat from indoors and transfers it to the cooler earth through either groundwater or an underground loop system.

Do I need separate ground loops for heating and cooling?

No. The same loop works for both. The geothermal heat pump simply reverses the flow of heat between earth and unit.

How efficient is a geothermal heat pump (or ground source heat pump)?

A GSHP is one of the most efficient residential heating and cooling systems available today, with efficiencies 50 to 70% higher than other heating systems and cooling efficiencies 25 to 45% higher than most available air conditioners.

Can a GSHP do more than heat and cool my home?

It can also act as a hot water heating system. By using a desuperheater, GSHPs turn waste heat to the task of heating hot water. During the summer, when the system is in cooling mode, your hot water is produced FREE as a byproduct of the thermal process. In winter, with the heating mode, the desuperheater heats a portion of your hot water.

How big are the typical Ground Source Heat Pumps? Will it fit in my house?

Most of the GSHP installation is underground. In the house, the heat pump units are basically the same size as a traditional heating and cooling unit.

How much does a GSHP cost?

The initial investment for a GSHP system is greater than that of a conventional system. However, when you consider the operating costs of a geothermal heating, cooling, and water heating system, energy savings quickly offset the initial difference in purchase price. Many property owner can also qualify for federal and provincial grants as well as provincial tax rebates by improving the energy efficiency of their home and reducing their home's impact on the environment.