Geothermal air conditioning

Geothermal air conditioning takes advantage of the thermal stability of the land during any time of the year, and in combination with the technology provided by the geothermal heat pump, it provides heating, cooling, and sanitary hot water in the most efficient way possible.

geothermal air conditioning

Its efficiency lies in the need to carry out a thermal exchange by the heat pump with a medium that maintains a stable temperature around 20 ºC in both summer and winter. These conditions are perfectly fulfilled by the land on which a building stands, with temperatures that can be around 16-20 ºC on average.

Geothermal air conditioning, also known as very low enthalpy geothermal energy, can be used at any point in the earth’s crust, regardless of the type of terrain, not requiring abnormally high temperatures such as active volcanic zones or hot spots in the crust. land.

Advantages of geothermal air conditioning

• Inexhaustible, reliable, and efficient energy source, without CO2.
• Guaranteed economic savings compared to conventional systems: -50% monthly air conditioning expense.
• A single supply contract with the electricity company is required.
• Low maintenance cost. Without noises. No need for auxiliary gas systems, solar collectors, chillers, etc.
• Flexibility in the location: Minimum occupied space that allows greater use for other uses.
• The high degree of system comfort. It does not depend on outside temperature conditions.

geothermal Inexhaustible, reliable, and efficient energy source, without CO2. geothermal energy saving Guaranteed economic savings compared to conventional systems: -50% monthly air conditioning expense. A single supply contract with the electricity company is required. low maintenance cost geothermal law maintenance cost. Without noises. No need for auxiliary gas systems, solar collectors, chillers, etc. takes up little space flexibility in a location: Minimum occupied space that allows greater use for other uses. a high degree of comfort high degree of system comfort. It does not depend on outside temperature conditions.

Geothermal heating

With air conditioning systems with geothermal heat pumps, heating is produced in a very efficient way and with maximum comfort in the spaces.

This application can be implemented in newly built and rehabilitated homes, in residential buildings, industrial warehouses, hospitals, health centers, public buildings, swimming pools, greenhouses, etc…. Of all of them, the buildings that, due to their use, have a higher heating consumption, are the ones that obtain the greatest savings, achieving a very fast amortization of the investment made. These periods are usually around 4-7 years compared to traditional systems (gas boiler and solar collectors, etc).

The system is in itself very efficient, being further optimized if geothermal heat pump heating is combined with emitters that work with low-temperature fluids, such as underfloor heating, although it can also be used with fan-coils, low-temperature radiators, or thermal convectors.

Geothermal cooling

With a geothermal installation, in addition to obtaining heating and domestic hot water (DHW), a home or building can be cooled in a very efficient way, all with just one piece of equipment, a geothermal heat pump.

The use of geothermal energy is popularly associated as a source of heat or heating since in Arkansas, where this technology has been implemented since the 80s, the climate is noticeably colder, and therefore, the demand for cooling is much lower. Also because geothermal energy is associated with from the earth, and therefore, with heating.

In Spain, with a warmer climate and a very marked summer season, the use of geothermal energy as a cooling system is much more frequent and can be combined with radiant/refreshing floors or ceilings, obtaining cooling without drafts, with very high comfort.

geothermal cooling

A heat pump, in cooling mode, reverses its operation with respect to heating mode, passing the evaporator to capture the heat from the interior of the house, and to transfer it through the condenser to the collection field (ground). In some pumps this reversal of the operation/cycle is carried out in the hydraulic part, diverting the hot fluid from the heat pump to the ground and the cold fluid to the house.

In the peninsula, the temperature of the land is normally between 16 – 22 ºC, so in many cases with a direct exchange with the land, without the participation of the heat pump compressor, it is enough to air-condition a home. This operation is known as Passive Cooling or Free-Cooling. The efficiency in these cases is very high since the energy expenditure is reduced to the operation of the circulation pumps of the collection field and of the emission system, without starting the compressor.

In areas with high humidity, it is necessary to control this humidity to avoid condensation. In areas where, due to high occupancy or high solar exposure, when an extra demand for cooling is required, fan-coils can be used to reinforce the underfloor heating/cooling.

DHW Geothermal

Geothermal facilities can produce Sanitary Hot Water (DHW) in addition to heating and cooling.

With current heat pump technology, 100% of the DHW in a home can be obtained simultaneously with the production of cold or heat, without the need to resort to any support system (electric heating elements, etc.).

• DHW geothermal
• DHW production systems can be through three types of accumulation:
• Accumulator
• Accumulator with external exchange
• Accumulator and external instantaneous production
• geothermal hot water
• Geothermal DHW storage tank

The most frequently used method is that of the accumulator. This system consists of a water tank for consumption that is heated by means of a coil, which goes inside, through which water from the geothermal heat pump circulates. The heat exchange between the coil and the drinking water occurs by convection until the set temperature is reached. The temperatures that can be achieved with this system reach 55 ºC. Additionally, they can carry an electrical resistance to carry out a specific programmed anti-legionella treatment by raising the water temperature to 70ºC. This electrical resistance can act in the event of a breakdown in the geothermal installation.

Read more about ducted reverse cycle air conditioning