The majority thinks that energies in alternative to the classical polluting-energies (generated by burning coal, gas, oil or by nuclear fission) are provided from what is available above our heads (wind, sun or both together) but very few thinks for what is below our feet.

Actually below our feet there is, in great abundance and practically inexhaustible, natural heat which, although is variable from place to place, it is not affected by the alternation from day and night and on the weather conditions of the site.

This heat continuously naturally dissipates toward the surface of the Earth even if its effects are usually not perceptible.

When the internal heat of the Earth is trapped, conveyed and transformed with appropriate methods it is possible to create clean and renewable thermal energy getting two major advantages at the same time.

Those advantages are a direct save on money in the energy bill and an indirect save of the environment by reducing the use of classically generated polluting-energy.

The energy so created is named Geothermal Energy.

Geothermal energy is cost effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

Conventional and recent Geothermal Energy at-a-glance

Conventional Geothermal Power Plants for Electricity Generation is the term used to the traditional use of geothermal power which had been historically limited to restricted areas where volcanic activity comes close to the surface by means of hot spring or pool from which gas and steam are vented at temperatures above 100°C.

Until few years ago the Conventional Geothermal Energy was exploited only in specific places of the world which were and are characterized by very high water, dry steam or wet steam temperatures in deep geothermal reservoirs involving large public investments for electricity generation.

Recent technology allows the generation of modern Geothermal Energy from many more sites by using low water temperatures, aquifers at shallow depths involving reasonable private investments for multiple direct uses ranging from air conditioning, industrial application without electricity generation to electricity generation.

In recent years the choice of conditioning by Geothermal Heat Pumps has been increasing due to the fact that they are efficient in terms of energy and consumption and perform, even at same time, both functions, heating and cooling. Additionally such systems are environmentally friendly because they do not produce local emissions.

Uses of Geothermal Energy at-a-glance

The Geothermal Energy is used for generating electricity and heat by means of various types of geothermal plants which are briefly:

     -    Conventional Geothermal Power Plants for Electricity Generation to generate

           Electricity;

-     Geothermal and Solar Power is the provision of electricity and heat by usefully exploiting the warmth of the earth and the heat of the sun with appropriate equipment.

-    Geothermal and Wind power is the provision of electricity and heat by usefully exploiting the warmth of the earth and the strength of the wind with appropriate equipment.

When under certain geological circumstances a geothermal reservoir occurs it is possible to utilize this natural and inexpensive resource for the generation of geothermal electrical energy by means of small or large Electricity Generation Geothermal Plants or for the geothermal direct use by means of Geothermal Heat Pumps.

The geothermal energy of steam or pressurized very hot water, mostly trapped in depth, is mainly used to generate large scale geothermal electrical energy that can be transported over long distances from the geothermal plants.

The geothermal energy of natural fairly hot waters, mostly available at shallow depths, is mainly used to generate geothermal direct use for heating buildings, greenhouses and industrial processes usually close to the geothermal plants by means of geothermal heat pumps.

Geothermal electric plants have until recently been built exclusively where high temperature genuine geothermal resources are available near the surface.

The development of binary cycle power plants and improvements in drilling and extraction technology enabled enhanced geothermal systems over a much greater geographical range.

Above mentioned geothermal plants are totally different between them.

Said that geothermal plants are ranging from large electricity generation geothermal plants to small local direct use of geothermal energy, the present, is focusing medium and small geothermal plants exploited by means of Geothermal Heat Pumps.

Contact for Larger and Customized Geothermal Energy Plants.   

Geothermal Heat Pumps at-a-glance

Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHP)are the pumps used for heating and/or air conditioning systems that actively pumps heat to or from the shallow ground for direct use.

The Operation principle of any geothermal heat pump is based on the transport of energy charges, from the underground to the surface and reverse process.

During winter heat is transported from the ground in the building while reverse action happens during summer.

This exchange takes place using thermal probes  buried underground, or by circulating the water in the subsoil.

Geothermal heat pumps use the Earth as either a source of heat in the winter, or as a coolant in the summer.

Like a cave, the shallow ground water temperature is warmer than the air above during the winter and cooler than the air in the summer.

A ground-source heat pump extracts that ground heat in the winter (heating) and exhausts heat back into the ground in summer (cooling).

Recent technology takes advantage of moderate temperatures in the ground to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs.

It may be combined with solar heating to form a geo-solar system with even greater efficiency and suitability for remote areas.

Ever-evolving technologies provides now-a-days geothermal heat pumps also known by a variety of names including geo-exchange or ground-source heat pumps because very little of the heat originates from true geological sources.

Instead, these pumps draw energy from shallow ground heated by the sun in the summer.

Geothermal Heat Pumps must have a heat exchanger or ground heat exchanger in contact with the ground or groundwater to extract or exhaust heat.

A Geothermal System has a high performance and low cost because it uses as prime mover the warm temperature of the earth (which is always constant) to heat environments, guaranteeing  more than up to 75% of the energy normally necessary. Consequently, less electricity is consumed with a consequent minor heating costs.

If Geothermal System are combined with a Photovoltaic Plants, the costs for heating and cooling an environment is close to zero a part the initial investment.

Geothermal Heat Pumps heating and cooling uses the relatively constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool residences and businesses with 40% to 70% less energy than conventional systems. While conventional furnaces and boilers burn a fuel to generate heat, geothermal heat pumps use electricity to simply move heat from the earth into buildings, allowing much higher efficiencies. The most efficient fuel-burning heater can reach efficiencies around 95%, but a geothermal heat pump can move up to 4 units of heat for every unit of electricity needed to power the system.

Geothermal Heat Pumps system can be installed in structures of any size, anywhere, whether it is single or multiple residences. This system can be installed in almost any size lot: under lawns, landscaped areas, driveways, or in the building itself. An existing building can be retrofitted with a Geothermal Heat Pumps system using the existing ductwork, if in good status.

Available Geothermal Heat Pumps

Environmentally safe and cost-effective technologies solutions for Geothermal Heat Pumps are variable from the geothermal potentials which are changing from site to site, from the needs of the end user which are changing case by case.

So we are accustomed to evaluate the different choices on their merits and choose the solution that best meets our client’s requirements.

Any request to meet on-demand personalized specifications, which are often requested in spite of the standardization covering the largest portion of the activities going-on worldwide, is welcomed.      

Efficiency of Geothermal-Heat-Pumps

Geothermal Heat Pumps heating and cooling uses the relatively constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool residences and businesses.

While conventional furnaces and boilers burn a fuel to generate heat, geothermal heat pumps use electricity to simply move heat from the earth into buildings.

Geothermal Heat Pumps system can be installed in structures of any size, anywhere, whether it is single or multiple residences. This system can be installed in almost any size lot: under lawns, landscaped areas, driveways, or in the building itself. An existing building can be retrofitted with a Geothermal Heat Pumps system using the existing ductwork, if in good status.

Ideal uses of Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Energy will be always more diffused in the near future being continuously developed the use of Geothermal-Heat-Pumps for low heat geothermal fields available almost everywhere.

Geothermal Energy is particularly suitable for:

-   air conditioning to islands, tourist resorts, rural, mountainous and remote areas which are disadvantaged by their typical isolated location in terms of energy distribution and can be hardly reached by conventional power grids, both for development costs and times, and for strictly technical reasons;      

-   air conditioning to public or private structures such as hotels, hospitals, schools, sport centres, swimming pools, residences;

-   air conditioning to military and navy facilities;    

-   desiccation and removal of humidity for industry;

-   provision of hot and cold water for industry;

-   provision of hot and therapeutic waters, if available, for SPA;

-   antifreeze protection of streets and pavements;

-   aquacultures in which warm water from underground enable fish to grow though the winter

     and mature more quickly;

-   production of mushrooms, desiccation of fruits, tomatoes and cotton;

-   greenhouses for hot water in-ground piping or utilizing a fan/blower system;

-   installation in structures of any size, anywhere, whether it is single or multiple properties,

    in almost any size lot: under lawns, landscaped areas, driveways, or in the building itself;

-   existing buildings the can be retrofitted with a Geothermal Heat Pumps system using the

    existing ductwork, if in good status.

Geothermal Heat Pumps are most efficient when the heat can be used on site or very close to it. Overall efficiency is reduced when the heat must be transported over longer distances. This requires heavily insulated pipes, which are expensive and inefficient; whereas electricity can be transmitted along a comparatively simple wire, and over much longer distances for the same energy loss.

Major advantages of Geothermal-Heat-Pumps

The major advantages of the Geothermal-Heat-Pumps are:

-   eco-compatible considering an estimated 70% reduction of polluting emissions;

-   direct save on money in the energy bill and an indirect save of the environment by reducing

    the use of classically generated polluting-energy;

-   for the same installed electrical capacity, the production of geothermal energy is much

    greater than that obtained from solar or wind sources, since it is entirely independent on

    the alternation of day and night and on the weather conditions of the site;

-   it is feasible in cold and remote locations;

-   it reduces the environmental impact of green gases;

-   modern geothermal energy will share an appreciable portion of the continuously increasing

    of energy consumption due to the unavoidable development of the natural green non oil,

    coal and/or nuclear resources.

-   can be a combination heating/cooling and hot water heating system;

-   made of mechanical components that are either buried in the ground or located inside the

    building;

-   very quiet;

-   no open flame, flammable fuel or potentially dangerous fuel storage tanks;

-   keep the air more consistent temperature through the building, eliminating the hot and cold

     spots common with other systems

-   compared to a non-negligible initial cost, the investment has an acceptable pay-back period,

     usually few years;

-   save money in operating and in maintenance costs;

-   special financing and/or incentives are offered in many locations on Geothermal Heat Pumps     system

-   conserve natural resources by providing climate control efficiency and thus lowering

     emissions;

-    minimize ozone layer destruction by using factory-sealed refrigeration systems, which will

     seldom or never have to be recharged;

-   uses underground loops to transfer heat, with no external venting and no air pollution

-   water desalination and potabilization using recycled heat;

-   special financing and/or incentives are offered in many locations;

-   compact. Easy to transport and install. Low operating and in maintenance costs;

-   reliable since captures the energy that comes from the surface layers of the Earth where

    the temperatureremains almost constant during the year and it is independent from the

    climatic conditions that prevail in and above the surface. Practically the geothermal energy

    has a higher capacity factor than many other power sources since it is available 24 hours a

    day, 7 days a week.

In addition to the economic benefits and advantages, Mini-Cogeneration and Mini-Trigeneration Units reduce the dependence on foreign energy supplies and help the environment by dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide - when compared to typical power plants.

Mini Co-generation and Mini-Trigeneration Units are very energy efficient, conserve natural resources and reduce fuel consumption as the system operates at such high efficiencies.