During the winter, the heat pump absorbs heat from the ground and uses it to warm the air in your home. In the warmer summer months, the processed is reversed, taking heat from your home and transferring it back into the ground.

The basic elements of a geothermal system include:

• Underground loops of plastic piping;

• A liquid antifreeze solution;

• A heat pump; and

• An air distribution system.

The loops of piping are buried in the ground near your home or business, either vertically or horizontally. That ground loop is connected to a pumping module inside your home.

The pump circulates a mixture of water and the antifreeze through the ground loop, where it absorbs heat from the earth.

When the heated liquid reaches the heat pump inside your home, the heat is multiplied and used to warm the air inside the air-handling system. A blower sends the warmed air throughout the building through ductwork.

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Learn more about:

How It Works: Anatomy of a Geothermal Heat Pump

How It Works: Geothermal Concepts

Resources: Incentives & Financing

Resources: Dealer Locator

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Brochures and fact sheets:

Geothermal: Bringing Comfort to Your World
By Alliant Energy
[PDF format – 7 pages, 174kb]

More brochures and fact sheets….