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The time has finally come for geothermal energy

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160 points riordan | 3 comments | 17 Nov 25 13:55 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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trollbridge ◴[17 Nov 25 15:38 UTC] No.45954521[source]▶
People across the road from have geothermal, driven by a 1.5m-deep pond right near their house. Their heat never costs more than $100 a month in the winter.
replies(1): >>45954573 #
1. danans ◴[17 Nov 25 15:42 UTC] No.45954573[source]▶
That's a different "geothermal" - the correct name is "ground source heat pump" or in your neighbor's case, a pond-source heat pump. Those exploit the temperature stability that occurs some small numbers or meters subsurface for heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.

"Geothermal energy" involves drilling down to hot rock to tap intense heat to run a turbine that produces electricity.

replies(1): >>45957597 #
2. m463 ◴[17 Nov 25 20:02 UTC] No.45957597[source]▶
wouldn't it be "natural geothermal" if the pond is a naturally occurring hot spring?
replies(1): >>45958115 #
3. danans ◴[17 Nov 25 20:51 UTC] No.45958115[source]▶
It wouldn't work very well for cooling then