Why geothermal is a hot trend in new condos

Source: Emily Chung · CBC · | February 12, 2021

(Diverso Energy)

Many condominiums being designed and built right now in Canada are greener than their predecessors — not just from the ground up but also deep down. That's because many are turning to fossil fuel-free geothermal or geoexchange technology for their heating and cooling. 

While most geothermal systems in the past 40 years have been installed in single-family homes, those in the industry say growth in the market is now driven by condominiums.

"That market is increasing and actually increasing very, very quickly right now," said Stanley Reitsma, president of the Ontario Geothermal Association.

Geoexchange is a type of electric heating and cooling that draws heat -- and cooling -- from the ground. (Note: While "geothermal" is the more commonly used term, "geoexchange" is preferred in the industry because it's less likely to be confused with geothermal energy, a different technology for power generation.)

In the past five years, the proportion of condos with this type of electric heating has more than doubled to five per cent in Ontario, Reitsma estimates. 

Lloyd Jacobs, general manager of FortisBC Alternative Energy Services, which has installed geothermal systems in dozens of multi-residential buildings in B.C., said there is "a huge demand" for alternative heating systems in large buildings that might have been heated by fossil fuels or baseboard heaters in the past.

Traditionally, a challenge for geothermal energy is the high cost of digging and installing the borefield — that is, the liquid-filled underground loops that store and supply the heating and cooling to the system.