As fossil fuels grind towards their inevitable end, society in general is starting to get serious about alternative energy sources. Geothermal heat is a simple answer for homes.

Alternative Energy Sources – Geothermal Heat

Geothermal heat is a fairly old concept that has gained a new life through advances in modern technology and materials. The concept is best explained using a basic example.

In many parts of the world, homes come with basements. If you’ve lived in such a home, you’ve probably failed to notice an interesting fact. Everyone knows that a basement will remain relatively cool during a summer, no matter how hot it gets. Fewer people, however, realize a basement will maintain fairly warm temperatures in the winter regardless of how cold it is outside the home. This is geothermal energy in action.

Ostensibly, geothermal energy takes advantage of the inherently stable temperature of the ground. Regardless of temperature fluctuations on the surface of the ground, soil below five feet remains at a fairly constant temperature range of 50 to 55 degrees. During the winter, this temperature can be used to create geothermal heat for a home or building.


The mechanics of producing geothermal heat are exceedingly simple. To produce heat, loops are dug into the ground to create a circuit for heat transfer. Depending on the season, liquid is run through the system to exchange heat or cold with the ground and suck up the opposite. The reconstituted liquid is then run through a refrigerant process to produce cold air that it circulated in the home during the hot summer. In winter, the process runs backwards and the cold air in the home is forced into the ground where it circulates and is compressed. The compression warms the fluids to over 100 degrees, which is transformed into heat for the home.

An easier way to think of geothermal energy is to consider the season. In the winter, a geothermal system will transfer cold air to the ground in exchange for warm air used in your home. The opposite occurs in summer. Regardless of the season, a geothermal pump system can lower your energy costs by as much as 50 percent.

As alternative energy sources gain more attention, geothermal heat is gaining popularity as a relatively inexpensive option.