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GEOTHERMAL AIR CONDITIONING

Do you know if you can heat or cool your home by harnessing the heat stored inside the earth?

The principle of shallow geothermal and geothermal air conditioning is extremely simple. It is based on the fact that a few meters below the earth’s surface the soil temperature is constant at 18-20 degrees Celsius.

Shallow geothermal has significant advantages over conventional air conditioning – heating methods because it is available everywhere and its licensing is quite simple.

A shallow geothermal system for home applications consists of three main parts:

  • the geothermal heat pump
  • the geothermal exchanger and
  • the internal heating and cooling installation of the building, which is usually an underfloor system or a system with fan coils

Taking advantage of the temperature difference between underground and surface, we can heat spaces in winter and cool them respectively in summer.

This is done using the geothermal heat pump, and the heat is transmitted through the geothermal exchanger, which is either in a horizontal arrangement and shallow depth, or in a vertical arrangement in the form of one or more boreholes.

  • During the winter, the water circulating inside the geo-exchanger absorbs the stored heat of the subsoil and transfers it to the heat pump, which then transfers it to a higher temperature and distributes it to the building.
  • Conversely in summer the system absorbs heat from the building and transfers it through the heat pump to the circuit of the geo-exchanger. He finally places it in the relatively cooler land.

A geothermal heat pump usually consumes around 25-30% of the energy it delivers, thus contributing significantly to energy savings.

Our company has the necessary equipment for the construction of geothermal drilling.

We undertake:

  • the construction of drillings (open or closed circuit)
  • the installation of geothermal heat exchangers (underground piping system), with own equipment and extensive knowledge and experience.

COST OF INSTALLATION OF A DEEP GEOTHERMY SYSTEM

According to a survey by CRES ( Greek Center for renewable energy), the amount for the installation of a shallow geothermal system in a house of 150 square meters reaches about 10,000 euros, an amount which includes the purchase, installation of equipment and excavation for the installation of underground pipes.

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DEPRECIATION OF GEOTHERMY SYSTEM

Compared to a conventional electric cooling and oil heating system, the initial investment is expected to pay off in 5 years, a time that increases by about two years compared to a conventional system using a gas boiler.

ADVANTAGES OF GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP

Geothermal energy is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Shallow geothermal energy utilizes the heat exchange properties of water and the mild soil temperature, which remains almost constant all year round regardless of external weather conditions and provide efficient heating, air conditioning and hot water for use in buildings.

The use of shallow geothermal energy for heating and air conditioning has significant economic advantages over conventional fuel savings, 30% lower operating costs than the best air-cooled system, maintenance costs of only 1/3 of that of a conventional heating-air conditioning system and significantly longer life (25-30 years).

The main advantages of shallow geothermal energy are:

  • Reliable environmentally friendly technology without emissions of gaseous pollutants
  • Extraction of free energy from the ground for heating and cooling of buildings, regardless of weather conditions.
  • Save 75% of the energy required for heating and 40% for cooling – cooling of a building.
  • Reduction of housing costs for heating and air conditioning by 25-75%.
  • Low cost of installation and equipment maintenance. Geothermal heat pumps are not damaged after prolonged use like some conventional systems.
  • Absence of noise during operation.
  • They provide high quality indoor comfort.
  • Smaller space is required to install the equipment compared to the conventional boiler room. No boiler, oil tank, or chimney is required, and no air cooler is required to air-condition the building.
  • Greater security than an oil or gas installation.

DISADVANTAGES OF GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP

The disadvantages of shallow geothermal energy are:

  • The initial cost of a geothermal system is higher than that of conventional systems, but it depreciates in a few years.
  • Open geothermal circuits require a supply of clean water (eg from drilling).
  • During the excavation of the boreholes, mud is created, which should be dried and removed from the construction site of the house.