Does Geothermal Work in Cold Climates?
If you're just learning about geothermal heating, you may be wondering
if geothermal heating is suitable for cold climates.
It's easy to think that geothermal heating only works well in the
tropics. This may be due to the common misconception that all geothermal energy
comes from the steam byproducts of geysers or the high temperatures of volcanic
activity.
There are many examples of this energy use geothermal. The Mayacama
Mountains in Northern California capture geyser steam to generate geothermal
energy. In Iceland, supercritical water is captured from volcanoes to generate
energy.
Home geothermal heating is a completely different technology. First,
geothermal heating generates heat for individual homes or businesses, while
geothermal systems on the side of volcanoes and geysers generate electricity
for large-scale distribution.
Second, geothermal heating does not depend on the external environment
such as nearby geological features, so it can be used by everyone. This
includes community homeowners even in the northernmost latitudes.
To understand this, let's take a closer look at how geothermal heating
works.
How does a geothermal heat pump work?
The geothermal heat pump is the core of the geothermal system. They are
connected both to underground plumbing loops filled with heat transfer fluids
and to the air ductwork in your home.
The amount of fluid circulating in the underground pipes is as much as
the heat pump needs, depending on where you set the temperature in your home.
When this happens, the fluid collects latent heat energy from the Earth itself.
This is sent back to the heat pump, which distributes this natural form
of heat throughout your home. Now you may still be wondering, "Will a heat
pump work in cold climates?" or "How does geothermal heating work in
winter?"
The answer is yes, geothermal heat pumps can and do work well in cold winter climates. This is possible because when autumn leaves turn into snowflakes and ice, we experience dramatic changes in ground temperature while the Earth just a few feet below is unaffected.
This is because thermal energy from the sun is stored on Earth. So no matter if it's raining, sunny, sleet, or snowing, it's always about 55 degrees Fahrenheit about 10 feet below the ground. Therefore, a geothermal heat pump always easily absorbs the thermal energy required for start-up.
Now that we know how heat pumps work in cold climates, let's take a look
at some of the reasons for the confusion about geothermal heat pump performance
in winter:
1. Sizing a geothermal heat pump for winter heating
One source of confusion is how heat pumps are sized for winter heating
compared to traditional heating systems such as furnaces. Geothermal heat pumps
are sized to provide enough heat on the coldest day of the year and nothing
more. Therefore, on the coldest day of the year, the heat pump will need to run
continuously to meet this demand. This will not harm your heat pump and is
completely normal. This is very different from traditional furnaces, which are
often oversized and therefore do not run continuously even on the coldest days
of the year. When you're used to a traditional furnace, it can be daunting to
keep your heat pump running continuously, but it's perfectly normal.
2. The local heat pump is not sized for winter heating
One of the biggest causes of misinformation about geothermal heat pumps
and winter heating is that the system is not properly sized.
There is a situation where a geothermal heat pump cannot provide enough
heat to your home during severe winters. This can happen when a heat pump or
ground loop isn't big enough and doesn't provide enough heat to keep your home
at a comfortable temperature, even when running continuously. In this case,
you'll need to rely on backup heat to stay comfortable. Since this backup heat
is less efficient, you'll see your utility bills skyrocket accordingly.
This can happen if the geothermal heat pump installer didn't choose a
large enough heat pump for your home, or the ground loop was undersized, or
both. Sometimes this is done to save money or reduce installation costs. We do
not recommend this practice and you should ask your installer if this is a
practice they engage in.
In cold climates, a geothermal heat pump can be a great asset to your
home. It will provide comfortable and efficient heat to your home even in harsh
winters. Plus, there are no moving parts exposed outdoors, so you don't have to
worry about parts getting covered in snow and ice. Finally, they don't lose
efficiency, and if sized correctly, they don't need backup heat. This makes
them a great choice for cold climates.
To find out more about whether geothermal is right for your home, please
contact us.