Geothermal Heat, Why are we not using this instead of oil, gas and coal?

Question

The earth is full of trapped heat. Why do we need to burn coal, natural gas and oil to re-create heat when an over

Answer 1

We ARE using geothermal heating, right here in the US... today! Companies like WaterFurnace International are manufacturing geothermal heat pumps that are FAR more efficient than any other type of heating & cooling system. A WaterFurnace unit can lower your bills by as much as 60% while providing heating, cooling, AND hot water.

A geothermal unit uses the heat stored 5-12 feet below your feet (where the temperature stays constant year round) to dramatically lower your bills. A series of polyethylene pipes (the same material used by natural gas companies to ensure no leaks) are placed in the ground to collect the heat and concentrate it. The heat is then distributed throughout your home. In the summer, the unit reverses and draws the heat out of your house and returns it to the ground. The only energy used is the small amount it takes to move the heat back and forth.

There is an added cost in the piping loops, but with the money saved each and every month, you typically recover the added expense within 5 to 7 years. From that point on, you are putting money in your pocket - not the gas man's.

In addition to economic benefits, Geothermal is a "green" product. According to the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, geothermal systems like the ones offered by WaterFurnace, are the most environmentally friendly way to heat and cool your home. The system emits no carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or other greenhouse gasses which are considered to be major contributors to environmental air pollution. There is no chance for carbon monoxide poisoning or risk of explosion that occur with natural gas, oil or propane. In fact, installing a geothermal system is the environmental equivalent to to planting an acre of trees, or taking two cars off the road. That's why it is considered a renewable energy source by the US government and it qualifies you for a nice tax credit.

According to the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium based in Washington D.C., current geothermal installations save more than 14 million barrels of crude oil per year. And, if one in 12 California homes installed a geothermal system, the energy saved would equal the output of nine new power plants.

The newest offering from WaterFurnace, called Envision, is simply the most efficient heating and cooling system available anywhere. Period. It outperforms any form of gas, propane, oil, and electric HVAC system out there. So take heart in the knowledge that geothermal is growing at an amazing pace in the US. These systems are becoming more and more common and is only projected to keep growing. Geothermal is the smart choice when it comes to heating and cooling your home.

For more information, visit these links:

http://www.geoexchange.org
http://www.waterfurnace.com
http://www.waterfurnace.com/marketing/brochures/pdf/WF312.pdf
http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu/

Answer 2

We are using geothermal heating where it's available in such places as Iceland and New Zealand. We are also heating and cooling some buildings with the natural warmth that sits just below the ground surface of the earth using a system known as a "ground source heat pump". This system is sometimes confused with geothermal heating.

Answer 3

Think some countries do use geothermal heat. Sweden uses the underground heat pump system in a lot of their houses I understand. Iceland and Greenland uses steam heat from their geyers. In the UK the heat pump system is installed in some new builds. More use could be made though

Answer 4

We ARE using it, but only in areas where the heat comes near the surface, within a mile or two. This limits us to areas that already have hot springs and other such activity. Iceland for example does a lot of this. We do not have the ability to drill deep enough to tap the hot core or mantle in most areas of the world because it is simply too deep.

Answer 5

The same reason we don't build miniature nuclear reactors to power all of our cars... Economics.

The sheer cost of using geothermal energy, plus the logistical problems of getting that energy into a form that can be used by the average Joe, is prohibitive.

Answer 6

Good question. Of course the availability to the surface varies over different locations and proportionately? the cost of capturing said heat for a given location.

Answer 7

Well, they use it in Greenland and Iceland.

We don't use it because we didn't use it, so we don't have the infrastructure for it, so it costs a lot because we would have to build systems from scratch, and fossil fuel is way cheaper.

Answer 8

us, humans, will continue to use fossil fuels as long as the cost of procucing them are no more than alternative fuels...like geothermal heating

Answer 9

in my opinion,
george bush and all them think that it will "unfairly hurt" fossil fuel producing companies.