Renewable energy sources such as the sun and thermal energy has been in existence for several decades. People basically come up with cost-effective and efficient ways of generating energy for both commercial and residential use. The cost of generating other forms of energy is quite high and thus the need to consider cheaper options. In most countries today, winter can be extremely cold and summer can be very hot; this temperature variation simply means that we need to have the right air conditioning systems in place in order for us to be able to control the temperature to what we want.
Installing an air conditioning system can be quite expensive and also comes with a lot of maintenance overhead. In winter, you need to install heating systems which also consumes a lot of power. These systems are not really efficient in most cases. With all that being said, what then is the solution? What can you do about the high cost of installing some of these systems and the fact that they often come with lots of maintenance overhead? Ground source heat pumps are the solution. Let’s now take a close look at some important points about ground source heat pumps.
What are ground source heat pumps?
Before we get into the details about ground source heat pumps, let’s talk a little about renewable energy sources. Energy sources such as the sun can be used for generating electricity which can then be used for anything in the home or office. Using solar panels, the energy from the sun is converted into electrical energy which can then be stored and used. This form of energy can either be stored in a battery or used directly. With ground source heat pumps however, the energy source is the ground. Using ground source heat pumps, you can keep commercial or residential buildings warm, without having to install other heating systems in your home.
So how does this really work?
To best understand how a ground source heat pump works, you need to realize that there is what is known as thermal energy, which is stored in the ground. Pipes are buried in the ground to extract the thermal energy. The technology used in ground source heat pumps leverages on this form of energy by storing and circulating it in the building when needed.
When is it best suitable for use?
Ground source heat pumps can be used in place of heating systems, as a cost-effective solution, which is also efficient. It can be used in both commercial and residential buildings to save energy cost. Since ground source heat pumps make use of thermal energy from the ground, it basically means you can never run out of energy in your building when you use ground source heat pumps. When you take the step to replace your conventional heating system with a ground source heat pump, you get to heat your home or water without paying for electricity or fuel. One of the major advantages of using ground source heat pumps is the minimal maintenance that is required.