Can a domestic house use geothermal energy?

Question

Is it viable for a single domestic house here in the UK to use geothermal power (e.g., a private supply)? I vaguely remember from my school days that power stations using this basically sink a pipe down to a level where the earth can heat the pumped water to produce steam, is this right?

And if it is, could a single house have it's own geothermal supply if you built it out in the country, miles from any other house? How much would this cost (I take it mega money) and does it matter where in the wrold you are?

Cheers!

Answer 1

Yes they can.  It may be far simpler than you think.  There are heat pump systems that can be installed in the ground at a depth where the soil temperature is maintained at about 50 degrees F that can maintain a house at 70 degrees F.  Cost is relatively expensive but is a one time cost versus an ongoing cost for purchased fuel.  a two way system that would both heat and cool the house is also available.  The principle is very similar to a regrigerator and works on heat exchange

Answer 2

yes this is done around Rotorua in New zealand

Answer 3

Its possible, but not financially viable to be honest, unless your house is a mansion on a country estate or something.

Hydro electricity may be a more suitable means for a domestic dwelling. More practical and far less expensive to install and get permission for.

Answer 4

We have single family dwellings with geo thermal energy as well as commercial buildings.

Be cautious in your investigation of geo thermal energy because it gives the illusion of savings. It is cheaper energy so people assume it is meeting their needs.

The amount of energy a house or building uses is dependent on the function of the exterior walls, roof and floor. We insulate buildings for their regional temperatures and size the heating system according to the losses of the exterior components.

I inspected a geo thermal home last year because they had mold in a 1 year old home. The home owners were in shock to be having any problem because they had "geo thermal"

The contractor didn't insulate a room properly so the room had heat loss into the attic and mold as a result.

Buildings have 2 functions related to energy use, heat loss and heat gain. Go to http://www.thermoguy.com/globalwarming-h... and see how building use energy. There is advanced thermal imaging showing what is happening inside the walls, the thermal bridging of the exterior framing, etc. Go to http://www.thermoguy.com/globalwarming-h... and see the heat gain aspect of buildings. Buildings shouldn't get hot during heat waves, the fact that they do tells you there is a design problem.

Go to the heat gain link and see how buildings can generate heat close to boiling temperature.

Answer 5

Get a geothermal heat pump.

Answer 6

yes they can, but the viability depends on the location of your house.

Answer 7

yes, they use it all the time.some whole communities have their own geothermal power sources.

Answer 8

Yes, but the more common application is as Rofe mentioned.  A geothermal Heat-Pump and not some sort of power generation.  The heat pump uses the earth's constant temperature to either gather heat or dissipate heat depending on what you need.  The most common way of doing this is to drill around 5 holes that are around 100 feet deep and then place pipes filled with a liquid similar to anit-freeze which is a good conductor of heat energy.  These pipes are then connected to a system that feeds into a heat pump into your home.  This can also be attached to water heaters or in combination with thermal solar panels. There are lots of options depending on the amont of $$ you are willing to spend.

My sister had geothermal heat-pumps installed in the new house she built and it works so well that my parents bought a system to replace their existing heat-pump system.