Gravenhurst Plumbing, Heating & Electric

Geothermal heat pumps are one of the cheapest and most reliable ways to heat

and cool most buildings today.

Geothermal pumps draw energy from the earth, using a series of underground

pipes. In winter, these systems bring the earth’s warmth up into a building, concentrate

it, and distribute it using heat pumps and ventilation systems. In summer, they

work in reverse, extracting heat from inside to be discharged into the cooler earth.

The earth itself supplies the renewable thermal energy, and the systems run with

almost no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions.

Smart Generation shows geothermal pumps can be widely used to provide heating

and cooling for all new residential and commercial buildings in Ontario. By 2010,

Ontario can install 125,000 residential geothermal pumps, saving the equivalent of

7.7 petajoules per year. By 2020, the province can install 341,000 geothermal systems

in new homes, saving the equivalent of 21 petajoules per year (the equivalent of about

750,000 tonnes of coal, or 3.7 million barrels of oil).

Ontario can follow the example set by Manitoba Hydro, which has become a

Canadian leader in geothermal heat pumps. Manitoba Hydro currently offers

homeowners a loan up to $15,000 to install a geothermal heat pump when building

a new home or replacing an old heating system. According to Manitoba Hydro,

installing 1,000 geothermal heat pumps in homes generates $15 million in construction-

related activity.

The City of Winnipeg is developing plans for a 100 per cent geothermal new

subdivision. If built, it would be the largest geothermal housing development in

Canada.

In Ontario, about 8,500 homes and 500 institutional and commercial buildings

are currently using geothermal systems. These systems offset the need for

electricity-hogging air conditioners and heating systems based on electricity

or natural gas.

Geothermal

heat pumps

Manitoba Hydro is leading Canada

in supporting geothermal heat

pumps for a variety of applications,

including homes and other buildings

such as recreation centres.

According to Manitoba Hydro,

the installation of 1,000 geothermal

heat pumps in homes generates

$15 million in construction-related

activity.

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SMART GENERATION: POWERING ONTARIO WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY 11

Economic benefits

The cost to install a geothermal system that can provide 100 per cent of heating and

cooling is about $20,000 for a new 2,000 square foot home in a Toronto subdivision.

The energy savings achieved by installing a geothermal heat pump are considerable.

Annual heating costs are $400, markedly lower compared to $1,000 for electric

furnace or electric baseboards, $1,250 for a gas furnace or $1,600 for a conventional

oil furnace.

Installing 125,000 home geothermal systems could result in 18,750 jobs by 2007.

By 2020, the installation of 341,000 geothermal pumps could create up to

51,150 jobs.

Fast facts

Ontario can use geothermal

energy for 20 per cent of the air

conditioning and water heating

load in all provincial and municipal

buildings by 2010. This level

should rise to 50 per cent by 2020.

Geothermal energy can be widely

used to provide heating and

cooling for all new residential and

commercial buildings in Ontario.

By 2010, Ontario could install

125,000 residential geothermal

systems that would provide

heating and cooling, saving

the equivalent of 2.1 million MWh

per year.

A split-system heat pump is also similar in set-up to a split-system air conditioner. It looks and acts just like the air conditioner, cooling the home on hot days. However, it has the ability to also heat the home on cold days using electric heat. The heat pump moves heat from outdoors into the home. This is more cost effective than other electric heating methods, such as electric furnaces or space heaters, which must create the heat. The most common set-up for a heat pump is with an indoor air handler. The air handler includes a coil and blower in one cabinet. In areas of the country where there are few heating days below freezing, a heat pump is the preferred choice. However, heat pumps are also very common in Canada, so it is not limited to the warmer climates.

What makes a

hybrid system different?

Since it is a rare task to replace your central heating and cooling system, let’s start with some basic knowledge about a typical set-up. The most common heating and cooling system set-up is a gas furnace with a coil and an electric air conditioner. This is a ‘split system’, which means the coil is located inside the home with the furnace and the rest of the cooling component (the AC) is outside…hence the system is split between locations, giving its name. The air conditioner uses the furnace’s blower to distribute cool air when it’s hot outside. The furnace heats the home with a fossil fuel (i.e. natural gas, propane or oil) when it’s cold outside. The hybrid is different from a typical system because it provides two heat sources: electric heat and a fossil fuel. In many locations, it is more economical to heat the home with the electric heat pump, at least until the outdoor temperature falls below a specific temperature point. Below that temperature point, the furnace heats the home more economically.