Residential: How it works
Natural Selection - the evolution of heating & cooling
GeoExchange technology harnesses the Earth’s renewable thermal energy stored just below the surface or in large bodies of water for the purposes of providing forced air heating and cooling, hot and chilled water and dehumidification. The system exchanges the natural heating and cooling properties of the Earth between a building and the ground. This transfer of energy is the source of enhanced performance and environmental superiority as GeoExchange systems employ a small amount of electrical energy to capture, move and concentrate a large amount of “free energy” provided by the Earth. The result is the utmost in space conditioning.
The Elements
The GeoExchange system consists of three integrated components: an earth loop system, a Geofinity Elemental heat pump and a distribution system.
The earth loop provides the infrastructure for accessing and continually exchanging thermal energy between the earth and the building. The earth loop is a circuit of continuous underground or submerged high density plastic piping installed in various configurations dependent upon site characteristics. An environmentally friendly fluid circulates through the loop and transfers energy depending upon the conditioning mode.
In heating mode, the circulating fluid absorbs the earth’s natural heat energy and carries it to the Elemental heat pump. The Elemental then uses electrically-driven compressors and heat exchangers in a vapour compression cycle to concentrate the earth’s natural thermal energy to a usable temperature and transfer it through a distribution system to all parts of the building. Providing comfortable and uniform heating.
In cooling mode, the process is reversed: excess heat is drawn from the building, transferred through the system, and returned to the earth. The result is cool, conditioned air.
Open loop systems operate on the same principal as closed loop systems and can be installed where adequate water supply is available and open discharge is feasible.
