What is geothermal energy?
Geothermal energy means CLEAN, RENEWABLE and SUSTAINABLE energy. Geothermal energy is the second largest source of heat after the sun; it is all the natural energy found within the earth. The principle of a geothermal heat pump is to transfer energy to and from the earth. During the cold seasons, the natural heat of the earth is conveyed inside the probes through glycol fluid; an indoor unit (heat pump), electrically powered, will maintain the temperature of the fluid suitable for heating the house. In the warm seasons, the reverse will occur, the housing unit will cool and the resulting heat will be conveyed towards the earth.
In countries such as Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and France, an interesting market of geothermal probes, pumps and collectors has been consolidated today, which in past years had particular penetration only in the Scandinavian markets.
Also in Italy, especially in the regions near the Alps and in the foothills, the spread of geothermal systems has been recording interesting increases in recent years.
A water-to-water geothermal collector can be divided into three basic parts:
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Geothermal probesThere are currently three types of geothermal probes on the market: Vertical geothermal probes They consist of PE pipes with a diameter of 32 or 40 mm, introduced into filled wells subsequently from a suitable conductive material. The vertical geothermal probes , in relation to the type of soil, can reach a depth between 30 and 180 meters. The temperature of the soil increases by approximately 3 ° C every 100 meters. of depth. The existence of two or more vertical geothermal probes clearly requires the presence of a collector for the control and distribution of the fluid. The vertical geothermal probes can also be installed inside the foundations of the house itself. Horizontal geothermal probes The horizontal geothermal probes are made of PE pipes with a diameter starting from 25 mm and are housed in special trenches at a minimum depth of 1.20 meters; this type of geothermal field requires a sufficient external area of land and is more influenced by atmospheric conditions (sun, rain, snow ...). Hybrid geothermal probes These are the so-called "latest generation" probes, developed according to a spiral or basket system, through the use of tubes with smaller diameters (20/25 mm.); hybrid geothermal probes are installed vertically at a depth of no more than 5 meters and require less external surface than horizontal ones.
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Heat pumpThe heat pump is the unit designed to transfer heat using an external energy source (usually electricity). The less use of electricity from traditional sources there will be, the more the heat pump will be considered ecological and economically convenient (in this sense, the combination of photovoltaic panels is recommended). The demand for lower and lower temperatures means that the heat pump is a generator that is more suitable for radiant floor and ceiling systems.
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Distribution manifoldONDA THERM has been producing geothermal collectors in technopolymer for thirty years. Geokal, Geomatic, Geotherm and Kombigeo 65/100 are modular manifolds designed and produced for geothermal probe systems. The particular conformation of each individual distribution manifold , equipped with a single interception and a possible flow meter, allows for low pressure drops despite having high flow rates.
