What is a ground loop in a geothermal heat pump?

A ground loop in a geothermal heat pump refers to a system of buried pipes filled with fluid, and this is central to how geothermal heat pumps operate. The ground loop is installed underground where temperatures are relatively stable, allowing the fluid inside the pipes, typically a water-antifreeze mixture, to absorb heat from the ground during the colder months. Conversely, during warmer months, the system extracts heat from the building and transfers it into the ground, utilizing the consistent temperatures of the earth to provide efficient heating and cooling.

The significance of the ground loop lies in its ability to serve as a heat exchanger, transferring thermal energy efficiently while taking advantage of the earth’s constant temperature, which is significantly more stable than the air temperature. This characteristic makes geothermal heat pumps highly efficient for space conditioning compared to conventional systems. The other choices do not capture the fundamental role or the function of the ground loop within the system of a geothermal heat pump.