| SOLAR GEOTHERMY |
www.geotics.net |
1.
Is it reliable to use the subsoil as a heat source?
Yes, because the subsoil always maintains the same temperature (around 15ºC in Spain), making the efficiency in the geothermal system absolutely optimal regardless of the atmospheric temperature conditions.
2.
Is solar geothermy an infinite energy source?
Yes, solar geothermy is a renewable energy source. Geothermal air conditioning is an economic and efficient way to exploit the natural and renewable energy that the Earth provides us.
3.
Which is the most used application of the solar geothermy?
The air conditioning for all kind of buildings, using a renewable energy source with good energy efficiency.
4.
How is it possible to pass from the 15ºC subsoil temperature to the 40ºC needed to heat the water?
An air heat pump is used to exchange the temperature through the Carnot cycle; temperatures are transferred from a cold place to a hot one. Basically it is the same cycle (but in the opposite sense) as the one used in household fridges, as they heat air to create cold.
5. What advantages does a geothermal air conditioning system offer us?
Geothermal energy offers us a year-round heating, cooling and dehumidifying system as it supplies the sanitary hot water needed in our home in a clean, ecological and economical way. But, even if these ecological and economical aspects are the most important when investing in a geothermal energy system for our homes, the comfort it offers should also be emphasized.
6.
How does a geothermal energy system work?
The equipment is composed of a circuit which exchanges energy with the subsoil, an air heat pump and a circuit which exchanges energy with the house. In winter time, the circuit in the subsoil (with the help of the air heat pump) transfers the heat from the subsoil into the house. In summer time, the system works inversely: with the same equipment, the heat is transferred from the house to the subsoil.
7.
How efficient is our geothermal air conditioning system?
The efficiency of our equipment ranges from 300% to 500% (for heating) and more than 500% for cooling. Thus, it consumes between 30% and a 75% less than it would consume in a conventional air conditioning system (Natural gas, propane…).
8. Is this a new air conditioning system?
No. Geothermal energy systems have been used around the whole world for the past 30 years. Its use is as widespread in the United States and Japan, as in Central Europe (mainly in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland). Thanks to this use, solar geothermy has become a highly developed and reliable energy source.
9. Is the installation of this system very expensive?
Usually, a geothermal installation requires a larger investment than conventional air conditioning systems. But this investment is recovered in 3 to 5 years because of the optimal energy saving and the minimum costs of equipment maintenance.
10. Is solar geothermy an ecological system?
Yes, because it does not generate any kind of CO2 combustion.
11. How long can the equipment work?
Regarding the air heat pump, the only element which has to be replaced (after a long service) is the compressor. The air heat pumps have a 20-year half-life, while the energy exchange system lasts 50 years.
12. Can the geothermal system be installed in any kind of land/soil?
Yes. The type of land is not relevant as long as there is no water in the subsoil. The installation can be placed under roads (as long as they have not been asphalted) but it is also possible to plant certain types of trees in the area.
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