Horizontal Loop
Horizontal: closed loop installations are generally most cost-effective for small installations, particularly for new construction where sufficient land area is available. These installations involve burying pipe in trenches, up to six pipes, usually in parallel connections, are buried in each trench, with minimum separations of a foot between pipes and ten to fifteen feet between trenches.
Vertical Loop
Vertical: closed loop systems, a U-tube (more rarely, two U-tubes) is installed in a well drilled 100 to 400 feet deep. Because conditions in the ground may vary greatly, loop lengths can range from 130 to 300 feet per ton of heat exchange. Multiple drill holes are required for most installations, where the pipes are generally joined in parallel or series-parallel configurations. The depth and number of wells is determined by the estimated heat and cooling load required to maintain a comfortable environment for the home owners heating and cooling needs.
Pond Loop
Pond: closed loops are a special kind of closed loop system. Where a pond or stream that is deep enough and with enough flow, closed loop coils can be placed on the pond bottom. Fluid is pumped through a conventional closed loop ground system where conditions are suitable, the economics are very attractive, if the space is available.
What is geothermal heating & cooling?
Geothermal heating uses the relatively constant temperatures found a few feet under the ground to regulate the temperatures in your home. This system pulls heat into your home from the Earth in the winter and moves heat away from your home in the summer. It uses two components, a heat exchange and several hundred feet of piping, often called a "loop". During the summer, the liquid in the loop draws heat from the earth as it circulates. In the summer, the heat is carried away from the home in the liquid and is absorbed by the ground.
Geothermal Benefits
Tax Credit: Geothermal heating & cooling, started in 2009 the federal government created a 30% tax credit, that will drastically reduce the cost of having a geothermal heating & cooling system installed in your new or existing home. You can have a more energy efficient system all the while the 30% tax credit allows the overhead cost to balance out and pay you dividends all while enjoying a renewable energy efficient heating & cooling system. (https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i5695)
