Technology that uses the ground to heat homes being developed in East Tennessee

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Utility bills from heating or cooling your home can get expensive, especially in extreme temperatures. However, technology being developed in East Tennessee could change that.

Geothermal energy, or a ground source heat pump, could provide heating and cooling to a building year-round, according to Senior Researcher for Oak Ridge National Lab Xiaobing Liu said.

Liu said the air temperature changes based on the season, but the temperature below the ground stays mostly the same, right around 60 degrees in East Tennessee.

“So we just utilize that to condition your building,” Liu said.

Liu is part of the national effort to develop the technology. The Department of Energy is giving 11 communities across the country funding to design projects. Liu is serving as an advisor to a couple of them.

Liu said this method of heating and cooling a home is environmentally friendly and limits fire hazards.

“There are some hurdles we need to overcome,” Liu said. “One is that cost.”

Liu said it costs about $15,000 to $20,000 to set up one home or building. However, it’s more efficient which could save people money in the long run

“It could use 30% to 40% less energy,” he said.

Liu said he, and many other researchers, are working on designs to make it more affordable.

Liu said another plus is that it would prevent widespread blackouts, like the ones in East Tennessee this winter in the extreme cold.

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“It can help reduce the electric demand, even at very cold ambient,” Liu said.

He said the ultimate goal is to bring geothermal energy to several buildings at a time. That way they would be able to heat and cool an entire city block or community.

Liu believes it is the future of home heating and referenced a report that predicts 28 million homes in the U.S. will be using it by 2050.

Technology that uses the ground to heat homes being developed in East Tennessee

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