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Geothermal Heat Pumps Clean Air and Reduce Energy

Former Oklahoma College researcher reveals how geothermal heat pumps reduce energy and enhance the quality of air

 

Are you aware that Gerald McClain, after several years working with geothermal energy leader James Bose at Oklahoma State University, has developed an innovative home geothermal heating and cooling solution?

Heat pumps operate like a refrigerator in reverse, they normally use electric power to transfer heat from one place to one other rather than producing heat directly.

As a result, they can be 2-3 times more energy-efficient than standard electric heating units.

A geothermal heat pump is a central home heating and/or cooling system that pumps heat to/or from the terrain. It uses the ground as a heat source (in the winter) or a heat sink (in the summer).

The geothermal pump models are between the most energy efficient technologies for providing HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) and water heating.

The setup prices are higher than normal systems (about $45,000 lowered by a 30 % with federal tax credit), but the difference is normally returned in energy savings in 3 to 10 years.

The Gerald McClain's geothermal system is based on:

- 6 one inch diameter pipes sunk three hundred feet into the soft red clay below his home
- A water antifreeze mix in the pipes that picks up the ground's constant sixty two degree F. temperature
- Three heat pumps in the attic that use a small electric powered compressor to heat or cool the home

The electricity for the pumps costs approximately $100 per month, much less than the common heating and cooling bill in the area.

A well controlled heat pump system not only will help you save energy, but will also blow dust into the house, improving in house air quality.

Indoor dust can pose health risks, in particular to young kids. New evidence (As released in the epa.gov site in September 2009) demonstrates that indoor dust is highly contaminated by persistent and endocrine disrupting chemicals (such as poly-chlorinated biphenyls).

Heat pumps get energy efficiency by transferring heat around as opposed to liberating it. This is not to say there is no air motion with a heat pump, but the heat exchange lowers that process. So does the lack of a cold-cycle as it exists in many conventional furnaces, which also acts to blow dust through the house.

The Author

Lorie Wampler shares knowledge for the residential heat pumps blog. It's a non profit site focused on her personal experience with hvac to reduce energy usage and improve indoor air quality. With this she would like to increase the awareness on eco-friendly tips for the home and change the public perception of energy efficiency.