On The Cutting Edge Of Geothermal Technology
Geothermal energy, the wave of the future! And the future is now.
Remember when geothermal was in the news everywhere as a low-cost, super-efficient energy source for heating and cooling homes and buildings? That geothermal technology of 20 or 30 years ago never became fully adopted for a few reasons. Primarily because it used thermal energy from the ground soil, which required huge ground loop heat exchangers. These loop fields had a high upfront cost, required a huge physical land area, and didn't have efficient heat sync properties.
Thanks to new technology using groundwater for thermal exchange, geothermal energy is once again in the news for its endless benefits compared to traditional fossil fuel heating and cooling systems.
New Technology Makes Geothermal A Viable Retrofit Solution For Your Building
New systems have revolutionized geothermal technology by utilizing groundwater to access significantly more thermal capacity than traditional systems, even in areas with limited space. This unique approach involves placing convection-based heat exchangers directly into aquifers, capturing the warmth of flowing groundwater and transferring it to a closed-loop system connected to a building. This method dramatically improves efficiency, reduces costs, and significantly minimizes the number of boreholes needed.
These systems don't remove water from the ground, but only use deep water wells to extract thermal energy from underground aquifers.
Compact, efficient, and sustainable geothermal systems are now available for your building
Whether you're looking to improve the sustainability of a commercial facility or integrate geothermal into a new development, Owens Companies can help you make it happen efficiently, affordably, and reliably.
Owens Companies can make this new technology a reality for your building.
Traditional geothermal systems required large surface areas or deep boreholes. This new system offers major advantages:
Smaller Footprint. Greater Efficiency.
Groundwater-based geothermal technology taps into naturally occurring aquifers, delivering powerful thermal energy transfer with a dramatically smaller installation footprint.
That means:
• Less land use makes it ideal for urban buildings and retrofit projects
• Lower upfront costs compared to conventional ground-source systems
• Faster installation timelines
• Increased heating and cooling efficiency year-round
This system taps into naturally flowing groundwater beneath your property, using a compact, closed-loop heat exchanger. Since water is 25x more thermally conductive than soil, this system is dramatically more efficient. Allowing for 10x more energy per borehole than traditional geothermal—making it ideal for space-constrained environments and retrofits on existing properties.
Why It Matters
This enables year-round performance, even in extreme climates like Minnesota
Urban viability
Because it requires fewer wells and less surface area, it fits where traditional geothermal simply can't
Compatibality
Fully compatible to work with various HVAC equipment, including heat pumps and variable refrigerant flow systems (VRF)
Fast payback
Eligible for up to 72% cost recovery through federal incentives. Many clients achieve full ROI within the first year
Groundwater Geothermal vs. Conventional Geothermal
Feature
Energy Source
Efficiency
Footprint
Compatibility
Drilling Depth
Scalability
Environmental Impact
Groundwater Geothermal
Groundwater
More Efficient
(uses water's thermal conductivity)
Minimal
(uses fewer, deeper wells)
Ideal for existing locations
250-1,000 ft
(targeting aquifers)
Easier to scale and retrofit
Can operate with zero emissions using renewable electricity
Conventional Geothermal
Ground/soil (closed-loop)
Less Efficient
(relies on slower-conducting soil)
Large
(uses horizontal trenching/vertical bores)
Limited by space & drilling access
300-500 ft
(for closed-loop bores)
Scaling can be costly & complex
Low emissions, but limited by hear transfer capacity
Why Choose Owens Companies?
With decades of HVAC experience and a forward-thinking approach, Owens Companies is uniquely positioned to help:
• Evaluate whether geothermal is right for your building
• Design and install a customized, compact system using this new technology
• Maintain and monitor your system for peak performance and long-term savings
Contact Owens Companies today to learn more.