Geothermal System

I'm building a new home and am installing a geothermal system. What kind of questions do I need to ask when getting a bid?

Thanks, John

When you say a geothermal system, what sort of thing are you after?

A ground loop (horizontal) system that is used for both heating and cooling. Electricity is used to give it a boost when needed. Something like this:
http://www.groundloop.com/geothermal.htm

These ground loop systems are basically efficient air-conditioning systems. The term heat pump is just another name for air-conditioning system. Rather than using the outside air to pump heat into or grab heat from, they use the more constant deep ground temperature. I'm sure they are more efficient that normal air-conditioning units, but there would be a lot of expense in putting the ground loops in.

I'm using an earth tube which is purely some PVC pipes under the house, to provide some cooling during late summer afternoons. Warm air is drawn from outside (or recirculated from inside), cooled as it passes through tubes beneath the house and then enters the ends of the house. It's just one of a collection of measures I'm using to keep my upcoming house between 20 to 26 degrees all year round without any air-conditioning or heaters.

Johnstaci,
Where are you building?
Ie what is the need of heat and cold?
And have you priced the geothermal system costs in Australia.
As casa says they are an efficient air cond system that uses the ground to cool of heat the water in the pipes - but typically our climate is not as severe as that of say northern USA.
So just check that bang for buck it is cost effective.
I saw plans and photos of a house the other day that in Adelaide is using full solar heating to warm an underslab heating system, simply by tripling the number of roof collectors and a very large water storage tank. Cost to run it - minimal. The sun does most of it.
Steve

Yak_chat,

Do you have any details or a link to the solar heated house? I'm planning on 12 m2 of extra hot water panels to provide in-slab hydronic heating.

I'm doing the top level design and any information would be very usful.

Cheers,
Casa

Sent you a PM a few days ago - Do you not get it ?