.Off-Grid Homesteading: How To Create Free Heating And Air Conditioning
By Sara Tipton
https://www.naturalblaze.com/2021/07/off-grid-homesteading-how-to-create-free-heating-and-air-conditioning.html?utm_source=Activist+Post&utm_medium=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0BbhHgvIN1PjtomefjwFJ6jkXGTGEwCG6NQfn-uuU2_2VQ93Dvdu0GqfY
Having a constant flow of cool air in the summer is the best way to beat the heat, but with the ever-increasing energy prices, and in some states rolling blackouts, it is becoming all too clear that our power grid is not something any of us should fully rely upon. A natural option is utilizing thermal energy to heat and cool the homestead.
Off-grid options may become more useful as the costs of energy continue to rise and rolling blackouts make it difficult to rely on the power companies. Self-sufficiency is also always a great way to prepare in advance for the potential power outages that are either ongoing or long-term. Geothermal could be an excellent option, so read on for more information and the pros and cons.
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY AND HOW IT WORKS
Just a few feet below the Earth’s surface is an abundant renewable energy source called geothermal energy. This energy is produced inside the earth and can provide passive heat in winters and cool air during the summer months. Thermal energy contained in the rocks and fluid below the surface of the Earth can be found from shallow depths all the way down to several miles below the Earth’s surface. Have you ever noticed that caves always seem warmer than the outside temperature during the winter and cooler during the summer? The actual temperature of caves depends on the average annual surface temperature of the place where they´re located. Might it be possible to move that cool air from underneath the soil into your homes to provide an alternative source of cooling air or warmer air?
The Earth’s geothermal energy is collected using earth tubes placed in deep trenches that will help carry the hot or cool air to the desired destination. “ Earth tubes work by harnessing what nature provides us naturally, utilizing simple principles that allow the ambient air temperature to be cooled by at least 10 or up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the energy efficiency of the building itself. These in-ground PVC cooling tubes are also known as air tubes, earth air tubes, a ground-coupled heat exchanger, an earth-air heat exchanger, thermal labyrinth, heat recovery ventilation, geothermal energy tubes, sustainability tubes, or a number of other terms.
Cooling tubes are an efficient way to cool a building using natural convection and thermal mass principles. They require no pumps or fans and are completely passive (no moving parts). This also means that no electricity is required to “run” them, saving energy costs for the lifetime of the building, which keeps money in your pocket and keeps your carbon footprint down. This also means this is a great way to live off the grid. Using geothermal energy can be thought of as both natural cooling, and green cooling, simultaneously, and the principles take advantage of what nature already knows how to do.
People can use geothermal heat for bathing, heating buildings, and to generate electricity and geothermal cooling to cool their homes during the hottest times of the year.
Always keep in mind that there is no perfect renewable energy source. Each energy source has pros and cons.
By Sara Tipton
https://www.naturalblaze.com/2021/07/off-grid-homesteading-how-to-create-free-heating-and-air-conditioning.html?utm_source=Activist+Post&utm_medium=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0BbhHgvIN1PjtomefjwFJ6jkXGTGEwCG6NQfn-uuU2_2VQ93Dvdu0GqfY
Having a constant flow of cool air in the summer is the best way to beat the heat, but with the ever-increasing energy prices, and in some states rolling blackouts, it is becoming all too clear that our power grid is not something any of us should fully rely upon. A natural option is utilizing thermal energy to heat and cool the homestead.
Off-grid options may become more useful as the costs of energy continue to rise and rolling blackouts make it difficult to rely on the power companies. Self-sufficiency is also always a great way to prepare in advance for the potential power outages that are either ongoing or long-term. Geothermal could be an excellent option, so read on for more information and the pros and cons.
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY AND HOW IT WORKS
Just a few feet below the Earth’s surface is an abundant renewable energy source called geothermal energy. This energy is produced inside the earth and can provide passive heat in winters and cool air during the summer months. Thermal energy contained in the rocks and fluid below the surface of the Earth can be found from shallow depths all the way down to several miles below the Earth’s surface. Have you ever noticed that caves always seem warmer than the outside temperature during the winter and cooler during the summer? The actual temperature of caves depends on the average annual surface temperature of the place where they´re located. Might it be possible to move that cool air from underneath the soil into your homes to provide an alternative source of cooling air or warmer air?
The Earth’s geothermal energy is collected using earth tubes placed in deep trenches that will help carry the hot or cool air to the desired destination. “ Earth tubes work by harnessing what nature provides us naturally, utilizing simple principles that allow the ambient air temperature to be cooled by at least 10 or up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the energy efficiency of the building itself. These in-ground PVC cooling tubes are also known as air tubes, earth air tubes, a ground-coupled heat exchanger, an earth-air heat exchanger, thermal labyrinth, heat recovery ventilation, geothermal energy tubes, sustainability tubes, or a number of other terms.
Cooling tubes are an efficient way to cool a building using natural convection and thermal mass principles. They require no pumps or fans and are completely passive (no moving parts). This also means that no electricity is required to “run” them, saving energy costs for the lifetime of the building, which keeps money in your pocket and keeps your carbon footprint down. This also means this is a great way to live off the grid. Using geothermal energy can be thought of as both natural cooling, and green cooling, simultaneously, and the principles take advantage of what nature already knows how to do.
People can use geothermal heat for bathing, heating buildings, and to generate electricity and geothermal cooling to cool their homes during the hottest times of the year.
Always keep in mind that there is no perfect renewable energy source. Each energy source has pros and cons.
