Geothermal - Green Notes
Even in Alberta, where the electrical grid is mostly coal fired, the geothermal system has 11% lower CO2 emissions than the traditional system. The obvious advantage of the geothermal system is that since it is tied to the electrical grid, any measures taken by Alberta to reduce it's emissions from power generation will be directly translated to lower emissions from the building. Considering that the life of a building may be 25-50 years, the chances of our electrical grid being as dirty in 20 years as it is today are very slim, the likelihood is that the grid will be close to carbon free in 25-30 years. Also, any power generated on site with solar or wind power can be used directly in the building.
Energy Efficiency and Environmental Benefits
Since Earth Energy Systems (or Solar Geothermal Energy Heating & Cooling Systems) involve the transfer of natural heat and no combustive process occurs, the only harmful environmental emissions attributable to their use is related to the electricity required for the systems operation, if the source of electrical generation is from fossil fuels. Geothermal Energy is also energy efficient because for every unit of energy (electricity) required to operate the system, the system transfers three to four times that amount of energy (heat). Hence, the use of Geothermal Energy can contribute significantly to the mitigation of GHG emissions, impacting on climate change because there are little or no carbon dioxide emissions associated with the operation of Geothermal Energy Heating & Cooling Systems. .