Wednesday, March 13, 2013

A Lesson in Geothermal Energy with the Coal River Group

Greeting from Tornado, WV! 


There are exciting things taking place here at the Coal River Group Science & Education Center today. Behind me you can see the drilling rig that is preparing to drill a well for the CRG's new geothermal heat pump system. Once installed, this system will heat and cool the CRG River Center using the constant heat of the earth underground. 


A few feet under the ground, the soil or water remains a pretty constant temperature year-round. Just that little bit of warmth can be used to heat or cool homes and offices. Fluid circulates through a series of pipes under the ground and into a building. An electric compressor and heat exchanger pull the heat from the pipes and send it via a duct system throughout the building. In the summer the process is reversed. The pipes draw heat away from the house and carry it to the ground or water outside, where it is absorbed.

That’s right, folks—efficient heating and cooling with a fraction of the fossil fuels conventionally involved. More importantly, this geothermal system will be essential for keeping OSM/VISTA Sara Cottingham warm while she works. 

Stay tuned for my adventures in Ohio.....


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