Geothermal (geo - earth, thermal - heat) energy is thermal energy present within the ground that when harvested, can provide an alternative energy source for heating.

The Ground Source Heat Pump is the device which transfers heat from one place to another, i.e. transfers heat from the soil to the heat store in the home or building. In the case of ground source heat pumps, the collector pipe is installed in one or more trenches or boreholes. A water or anti-freeze solution is circulated around circuits of plastic pipe, extracting heat from the earth.

Ground source heat pumps are widely available, and there are many designs of collector in use. Intaeco is not a manufacturer or distributor of ground source heat pumps, but does supply the manifold systems that are essential for installers or OEMs to suit coiled loop (slinky) collector system or horizontal planar collectors (these require a greater area to be excavated). The systems comprise several equal length loops brought together at the manifold.

A heat pump moves heat energy from one place to another and from a lower to a higher temperature. The refrigerator is a heat pump. Heat is removed from the 'fridge' and through out behind the fridge via a grid called the condenser. In heating applications, heat is removed from ambient air, or water, soil or bedrock) and transferred to another area, a building or home. In cooling applications, the reverse happens and heat is removed, to be discharged to the ambient air, water, soil or rock.