In 2020...
Most homes are cooled via air conditioning, an energy-inefficient process.
TL;DR
Ground Loop Geothermal (GLG) is a fundamentally more efficient (20%-40%) and cheap way to cool or heat the home. And, it can be done practically anywhere. GLG is a cooling method that transfers energy into the ground below a building, instead of into the surrounding air.
In 2050...
Most homes are heated and cooled through community-scale geothermal networks that make buildings thermally comfortable to live, work, and sleep in.
Why?
- One fundamentally important aspect of a home is that it shields us from the elements. a home gives us warmth in the winter, and cool in the summer. thermal comfort is a foundation to psychological comfort, and lies low on the pyramid of needs. Current methods of home cooling and heating are generally energy-intensive, brute-force methods that could be thoughtfully improved. Ground loop geothermal is one well-understood technology that stands to redefine our norms for thermal comfort.
Ok. but why geothermal?
- IT'S GREENER.
- hunch is ground source geothermal is wildly underutilized due to how cheap energy is.
- 100% electricity based, no immediate emissions
- IT'S CHEAPER.
- 70% in heating costs, up to 50% in cooling costs, and around 30-50% in hot water costs
- implementation of geothermal into new homes can reduce heating/cooling costs by 2-4x. heating/cooling accounts for 50%+ of housing energy costs on average.
- YOU CAN DO IT ANYWHERE.
- geothermal can be implemented ANYWHERE. geographic limitations are very few and far between. you need a patch of ground and you need to dig or drill.