Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is one of the cheapest and most reliable ways to heat and cool most buildings today.

Geothermal pumps draw energy from the earth, using a series of underground pipes. In winter, these systems bring the earth’s warmth up into a building, concentrate it, and distribute it using heat pumps and ventilation systems. In summer, they work in reverse, taking heat from inside and discharging it into the cooler earth.

The earth itself supplies the renewable thermal energy, and the systems run with almost no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions.

Trends

Manitoba Hydro has become a Canadian leader in geothermal heat pumps. Manitoba Hydro offers homeowners a loan up to $15,000 to install a geothermal heat pump when building a new home or replacing an old heating system.

The City of Winnipeg is developing plans for a 100 per cent geothermal new subdivision. If built, it would be the largest geothermal housing development in Canada. In Ontario, about 8,500 homes and 500 institutional and commercial buildings are using geothermal systems.

Economic benefits

According to Manitoba Hydro, installing 1,000 geothermal heat pumps in homes generates $15 million in construction-related activity.

The energy savings achieved by installing a geothermal heat pump are considerable. Annual heating costs are $400, markedly lower compared to $1,000 for electric furnace or electric baseboards, $1,250 for a gas furnace or $1,600 for a conventional oil furnace.

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