How can geothermal energy heat and cool an individual building?

While often referred to as “geothermal” the devices that are used to bring geothermal energy to a building are more precisely called geothermal heat pumps (GHPs). They may also be referred to by the names “ earth-coupled heat pumps”, “water-source heat pumps”, “GeoExchange” or “geoexchange technology”. Although these devices have been in use since the late 1940s, the technology has dramatically improved over the years. Watch this short video from the U.S Department of Energy for an overview of how we can tap into the earth’s geothermal energy to heat or cool a building.