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Geothermal heat pump technology relies on the simple fact that the Earth’s crust remains at a constant temperature. By exchanging heat with the earth beneath us, the heat pump in FCNL's building warms and cools the building cleanly and efficiently.
The system consists of three components:
- an earth connection, which is a series of polybutylene pipes buried under our parking lot. The pipes contain a mixture of water and antifreeze and circulate the mixture as a means of exchanging heat with the earth.
- a heat pump, located in our basement’s mechanical room. The pump can remove the heat from the earth connection’s liquid mixture, concentrate it, and transfer it to the building; the process is reversed to cool the building.
- a heat distribution system, made up of air distribution units on each floor of the building. The distribution units are divided into zones, allowing for thermostat regulation of individual areas for space comfort.
Find out more about geothermal heat pumps from the U.S. Department of Energy.
More about the building.
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