The Environmental Effects of Ground Source Heat Pumps, A Preliminary Overview

publication by the illinois state geological survey open file series ofs 2004 2 ground source or geothermal heat pumps are a highly efficient renewable energy technology for space heating and cooling this technology relies on the fact that at depth the earth has a relatively constant temperature warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer a geothermal heat pump can transfer heat stored in the earth into a building during the winter and transfer heat out of the building during the summer these types of geothermal heat pumps are suitable for use throughout illinois and the midwest special geologic conditions such as hot springs are not needed for successful application of geothermal heat pumps