The first component of a geothermal system is the ground loop. Either a vertical closed loop, a vertical open loop, or a trench based system is installed. The ground loop fluid acts as a heat exchanger that brings constant earth temperatures to the heat pump that provides the energy to heat and cool your building. The ground loop feeds into the heat pump which operates similarly to the heat pump found in your refrigerator. In contrast to your refrigerator, a geothermal heat pump is reversible, so it can deliver both heating and cooling benefits to your building. Specifically, a refrigerant can either be used to raise or lower the entering temperature provided by ...

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