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By Bluecube
#2718
The most efficient means of heating a house is by using geothermal heat pumps. Check the link below:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/RE/geo_heat_pumps.html.

The air going into your house runs through an underground tube, and becomes warmer. I.E. less energy required to get the air warmer. Heat pumps are kind of expensive to build, and it takes about 5 years for the energy savings to pay for the initial cost. Most people move within 5 years so the incentive isn't there to install them. City lots are mostly too small for geothermal heat pumps, so city governments should automatically install them under streets just like sewers. Homeowners would just plug into the common heat exchanger, and heating/cooling costs/energy use would decrease dramatically.

Reward: I'd like a city to name a park Bluecube Park.
By Daryl666
#5853
I quite agree actually in vancouver there are a few buildings that have geothermal heat pumps and they do not require a lot of room as the pipes can be put in vertically bored holes instead of horizontal trenches.
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By najr
#5882
Sounds excellent. I can't get the link to work though.

It will take some forward thinking from city authorities but schemes like this could well be the way forward. How deep do the pipes have to go for meaningful warming of the air?
By Daryl666
#6272
the depth of the vertical holes is solely dependant on how large the heating/cooling job is a substanciual ammount of heat can be taken from as little as 5-15 foot deep holes all through the underside of the building
By fridgeman
#13186
Interesting idea and one I would generally accept however just a few points 1. heatpumps use electricity of which approx 75% is generated by fossil fuel burning although the COP of the heatpump makes it the most efficient form of heating. 2. Payback time on domestic type installations is more like 12 to 15 years with the additional expenses coming into play as the plant gets older parts break and require replacement etc Heat pumps are coming on but not there just yet.
By Regtracker
#13492
Saw a real cool setup in Iceland for geothermal for a whole town. Got to wonder how much mother earth can take though cause the natural thermal areas at the surface are natural release valves for tectonic action. if we start tapping into that heat source then there will be energy bleeding off in areas where it wouldn't be naturally, thus the pressure drop could slow the heat production and the core could start to cool(i'm thinking this would not be good).
By Rishi
#13524
The primary requirement is the availability of geothermal energy.
Heat pumps are just refrigerators in reverse. They require power to operate.
What is meant perhaps are heat pipes which are kind of heat exchangers that do not require any power.
If local geothermal source is available it is a good idea to tap into it.
rishi
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