What is a geothermal system?
Geothermal systems are an alternative way to heat and cool buildings efficiently. Instead of burning fossil fuels, which can be costly and harmful to the environment, geothermal systems use the natural energy of the earth to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. While temperatures above ground change a lot from day to day and season to season, temperatures in the upper 10 feet of the Earth’s surface hold nearly constant between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. For most areas, this means that soil temperatures are usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer. Geothermal heat pumps use the Earth’s constant temperatures to heat and cool buildings. They transfer heat from the ground (or water) into buildings in winter and reverse the process in the summer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for temperature control. Although,
