Land is required for the installation of a geothermal system's earth loops. The exact amount of space will be determined by the system loop type and size being supported, but it typically ranges from 400 sq. ft. to 8000 sq. ft.
A useful benchmark: about 400 to 600 feet of horizontal loops are needed for each ton of energy required to heat or cool. A mid-sized house usually requires a 3 ton unit, and so it would need space for approximately 1200 t0 1800 feet of coils.
A typical horizontal system requires around 700 square metres. A vertical system needs enough space for the drilling rig to access the site, but boreholes are only around 20 centimetres wide. If multiple boreholes are needed, these are placed 5-6 metres apart.
A horizontal system may require enough land for a 100- to 300- foot-long trench. A vertical system requires less land but may require numerous well holes drilled deep enough vertically for the geothermal loops.
Myth: Geothermal power plants take up a lot of space
Geothermal energy has the smallest land footprint of any comparable energy source in the world. They are compact and use less land per gigawatt hours (404 m2) than coal (3642 m2), wind (1335 m2), or solar photovoltaics plants (3237 m2).
Air and water pollution are two leading environmental issues associated with geothermal energy technologies. Additional concerns are the safe disposal of hazardous waste, siting and land subsidence. Most geothermal power plants require a large amount of water for cooling or other purposes.
How deep do you have to dig? For a horizontal loop you only need to dig between 6 - 8 feet deep. For a vertical loop you need to drill between 250 and 300 feet deep.
Expensive source of energy
As previously mentioned, most geothermal resources cannot be utilized in a cost-effective manner, at least not with current technology, level of subsidies, and energy prices. The upfront costs of geothermal heating and cooling systems for homes and commercial buildings are also steep.
Horizontal loops are less practical and can need up to 1200-1800 feet of underground space for a mid-sized home. Vertical loops dive deep into the ground, taking up much less space but needing a greater depth of installation. Vertical loops need around 3-500 feet of depth.
Geothermal heat pump systems have an average 20+ year life expectancy for the heat pump itself and 25 to 50 years for the underground infrastruc- ture. Additionally, they move between three and five times the energy they consume between a building's interior space and the ground.
Soil Conditions
Many customers might think a “swampy” area is not a good spot for a ground loop. This is actually the best place to dig, because the ground has more thermal mass because of the water. The minimum depth of a horizontal ground loop should be 6 feet, but 8 feet is more ideal.
The average cost to install a geothermal heat pump typically ranges from $10,000 to $30,000, depending on factors like the size of the system, property location, and installation complexity. Horizontal loop systems tend to be less expensive, while vertical systems, which require deep drilling, are on the higher end.
At a geothermal power plant, wells are drilled 1 or 2 miles deep into the Earth to pump steam or hot water to the surface.
The capital cost for a geothermal power plant is about $2,500 per kilowatt (kW), whereas operation and maintenance costs range from $0.01 to $0.03 per kWh. Tax incentives and various forms of financing are often used to offset costs of developing a geothermal power project.
Trees and shrubs with aggressive or deep roots can interfere with the operation of geothermal ground loops. Other plants you may want to avoid include: Vines with tenacious roots like English ivy. Large perennials with deep roots like peonies and some varieties of phlox.
Most geothermal system installations take about 1-2 weeks for drilling, fusing, and heat pump installation. One of the best things about your geothermal system, besides the energy-efficient heating and cooling, is that you no longer have an outside air conditioner making noise and ruining your outdoor aesthetics.
Land area requirements
Land is required for the installation of a geothermal system's earth loops. The exact amount of space will be determined by the system loop type and size being supported, but it typically ranges from 400 sq. ft. to 8000 sq. ft.
Pro: Getting off the grid
To get completely off the grid, try pairing geothermal in your yard with solar on your roof. Your solar panels will supply a clean source of electricity, and your geothermal heat pump will keep your home a comfortable temperature — all without fossil fuels.
The answer is quite a bit. Low outside temperatures and frozen ground have no impact on a geothermal system. Only a few feet below the surface, the Earth holds a nearly constant temperature of roughly 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Location Restricted. The largest single disadvantage of geothermal energy is that it is location specific. Geothermal plants need to be built in places where the energy is accessible, which means that some areas are not able to exploit this resource.
Geothermal systems can be designed to require no backup, even during the coldest temperatures.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), property owners who install geothermal heat pumps can save up to 70 percent on heating costs and up to 50 percent on cooling costs, adding up to more than $1,000 in savings yearly.
Although air temperatures above ground change throughout the day and with the seasons, temperatures of the earth 10 feet below ground are consistently between 50°F and 60°F.
Typically, this payback period can range between 5 and 10 years. However, it's important to note that this is a ballpark figure and the actual payback period will depend on several factors.
Assuming your old heater is properly sized you can then use this to calculate the size of the new geothermal heater. 1 ton = 12,000 BTU = 3.5 Kw - So if your existing heater is 48,000 BTU then you would need to purchase as 4 ton GeoCool unit. What do your neighbors have? This is a great way to size a system.