No matter what climate you live in, the outdoor temperature throughout the year varies. For most Canadian  climates, that means blazing summers then cool to frigid winters. What many people don't realize is that the temperature below ground (regardless of climate or season) stays fairly consistent all year.  Benefits of buying geothermal

The ground is able to maintain a higher rate of temperature consistency because it absorbs 47% of the sun's energy (heat) as that energy hits the Earth's surface. Geothermal heat pumps (also called ground source heat pump) systems are able to tap into this free energy with an earth loop. This technology is then used to provide your home or office with central heating and cooling. Here is a Geothermal concept guide (good reading)

West Coast Geothermal Heating was among the first Canadian Geothermal Coalition (CGC) Certified Nextenergy dealers in the lower mainland.   We provide system design, installation, commission and ongoing service.  This is one of the best "how geothermal works " animations we have seen

How does a geothermal unit produce heating, cooling and most of our hot water as well?, here is a heating cycle diagram, here is a cooling cycle diagram
 

 

Contractor Warning! Important
advisory from the CGC authority
worthwhile reading!

The basic elements of a geothermal heat pump system include:
Ground loop — system of fluid-filled plastic pipes buried in the shallow ground, or placed in a body of water, near the building.  See various earth loop designs

Heat pump — removes heat from the fluid in the pipes, concentrates it, and transfers it to the building (for cooling, this process is reversed)  Great movie (8 Mb)

Air or water delivery system — conventional ductwork or piping is used to distribute heated or cooled air or water throughout the building. Geothermal System Applications

Geothermal heat pumps use electricity to heat and cool, just like a conventional heat pump. However, unlike a conventional heat pump, geothermal heat pumps use the relatively constant temperature of the Earth as a source of heat in the winter and as a heat trap for heat in the summer.  In the winter, the fluid passing through the underground (or underwater) loops of piping is warmed by the Earth's heat. The collected heat is extracted and concentrated by the heat pump, and distributed through the building's ductwork. To cool the building in the summer, this process is reversed — the heat pump moves heat from the indoor air into the underground loops, where it is transferred to the relatively cooler ground. The heat removed from the indoor air during the summer can also be used to produce some of your hot water, or to heat swimming pools, instead of transferring it to the ground.  Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) Geothermal  FAQ 

We get local people investing a substantial amount of money on their homes in BC and some even come to build their retirement home and move here.  Many of our clients often have no cash coming in other than their pension after retirement. They're asking themselves how they can live on a fixed income and enjoy life and not have to worry where energy prices are going over the next 20 years.  Resale value is even enhanced as energy costs rise!   What about a comparison with an air source system?