Thermonexus provides products and turnkey solutions to connect
Optimized thermal connection to the earth is the single most
Stay up-to-date on news and events that matter to you and the environment.What is GeoEnergy
GeoEnergy / Geoexchange / Geothermal
No need to be confused, they all mean the same thing.
They all describe a sustainable resource that lies in the ground at your location. Here’s how it works.
A typical air conditioning system withdraws heat from the inside of a home or office and discharges it to the air outside using a compressor and fan. As you might expect, on hot days when the A/C is used the most, it is difficult to shed heat into already hot air. (Orange diagram) The system is very inefficient and must run a long time to remove heat. Conversely in the winter, the air source heat pump tries to draw heat out of already cold air. Likewise, it struggles to draw heat from the frigid air, and must also run a long time. (Blue diagram)
GeoEnergy is different. Below a depth of 20 ft, the ground temperature of the Earth remains nearly constant throughout the year. Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) are designed to capitalize on this near constant temperature. Using a properly constructed ground heat exchanger (GHEX), they harness the thermal energy stored in the ground beneath your site.
GeoEnergy installations are integrated systems consisting of three major sub-systems:
- Air distribution within the structure - air ducts and blowers circulate the air throughout to control the climate within the structure.
- Ground Source heat pump(s) - mechanical device to drive or “pump” heat between the two other subsystems. GSHP work most efficiently when the entering water from the ground exchanger remains within a range of 40 to 80 degrees
- Ground heat exchangers (GHEX) - in-ground piping arranged in a grid that makes contact with the earth to facilitate heat exchange. Typical ground heat exchangers are constructed of plastic tubing encased in clay creating significant thermal resistance.
How do GeoEnergy systems actually save on energy?
Simply put, they transfer energy from the earth efficiently. A heat pump circulates a substance between two coils that changes state between gas and liquid in response to pressure.
When the gas is compressed, it releases heat (red); when it expands, it gets cold (blue). Depending upon whether in heating or cooling mode the water circulating from the ground exchanger contacts the coil and either provides or removes heat from the heat pump. Since the compressor is the only power requirement, the system is very efficient.
One unit of electricity pumps 3-5 units of thermal energy from the ground yielding up to 4-6 units of thermal energy for climate control. That’s 400-600% efficiency.
