The short answer: a geothermal system heats and cools your home by moving heat between the house and the ground. Fluid circulating through buried ground loops absorbs the earth’s heat in winter and releases the home’s heat into the ground in summer, and a heat pump cycle concentrates that heat and distributes it. It’s one of the alternative energy systems we build with — most often in tandem with an in-floor radiant heat system that warms the entire home.
The six stages of a geothermal system
- Ground loops filled with fluid absorb heat from the earth in the winter, and release heat into it in the summer.
- The evaporator transfers heat from the ground loops to the refrigerant circulating in the system.
- The compressor increases the pressure on that refrigerant to raise its temperature.
- The desuperheater routes some of the excess heat to your hot water heater — free hot water as a byproduct.
- A reversing valve lets the heat pump switch directions, so the same system heats in winter and cools in summer.
- The expansion valve drops the fluid’s pressure and temperature so it flows back toward the evaporator, and the cycle starts again.
Why pair it with radiant floor heat
Geothermal’s steady, moderate output is a natural match for in-floor radiant systems: warm floors, even heat through the whole home, no blowing air. That pairing is how we most often design it into our builds.
Tax credits
Federal tax credits have long been available for residential geothermal systems — historically up to 30% of system cost. The exact percentage and rules change with legislation, so confirm the current credit with your tax professional when you’re pricing a system; it meaningfully changes the payback math.
See one in action
We’ve built many homes that run partially on geothermal energy — the Coyne residence in Black Forest and the Thies residence in Divide are two examples. If you’re weighing geothermal for a future home, it’s exactly the kind of decision we work through in design — see how our process works, or talk it through with Andy.
