Geo-exchange, Geothermal or Ground-Source Heat Pumps
Geothermal heating and cooling systems use buried pipes to take advantage of the stable earth temperature below the frost line. These systems extract or reject heat as needed using a heat pump (similar to an air conditioner or refrigerator). Geothermal systems don’t create heat (like a furnace does) but rather, they move heat and as a result, the efficiencies are much higher and can reduce heating and cooling consumption by 70 to 80% compared with traditional systems.
Even with a relatively carbon-intensive electricity grid, these systems provide carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction, and when paired with green power, can eliminate carbon emissions entirely. While the initial cost can be high for a single-family home, the energy reduction is greater than with almost any other technology.
Wind Energy
While large-scale wind energy generation sites are growing, small systems for homes tend to have relatively high costs compared to other options. It is worth noting that the winds Edmonton experiences are often intermittent and too variable in speed to generate significant quantities of electricity. As a result, it can be challenging to design a system to generate dependable power at the household level.
Hydrogen Fuel
Hydrogen is a clean energy source that, when used in a fuel cell, produces only water, electricity and heat. There are three different types of hydrogen:
- grey: uses fossil fuels and releases carbon dioxide
- blue: uses fossil fuels but captures and stores emitted carbon
- green: uses emission-free sources
While hydrogen would not be used at a household level, it can be an important piece in reducing our emissions at a larger level, such as industry, fleet and in communities. Visit Edmonton Region Hydrogen Hub to learn how hydrogen fits into our city's future.