Geothermal energy is the thermal energy contained in the depths of the earth in the form of hot water or water vapour. There are different types of technologies for the conversion of geothermal energy into electricity or heat for heating. These technologies have different levels of readiness.

Geothermal energy is one of the most unexplored forms of renewable energy. Unlike other sources, the potential and benefits of geothermal energy are unknown, and hot water and steam reservoirs are most often located in nature reserves, nature restricted areas, or nature parks, depriving one of the opportunity to obtain energy. Due to these reasons, geothermal energy is not widespread for commercial energy production. The United States, Turkey, Indonesia, and the Philippines use geothermal energy more than others. The biggest advantage of geothermal energy generation over other forms of energy is the relatively low land consumption for the installation of technology.

The most popular technology for the geothermal energy generation in households is the geothermal heat pump. Heat pumps are not only used to heat residential buildings, but also for heating commercial and public buildings. Heat pumps consist of several parts: the pump, the heating system pipes (located in the house), the heat production pipes (located underground), the evaporator, the compressor, the expansion valve, and the heat carrier. The most important part of a heat pump is the pump that provides heat sources from the ground to the house, as well as the circulation of the heat carrier in the heating system. Underground pipes for heat production can be placed in several ways, i.e., vertically, horizontally, and in loops.

It is not necessary to pump hot water or its steam out of the ground to operate the geothermal heat pump. These heat pumps absorb the heat that is in the soil. The principle of operation of heat pumps is similar to refrigerators, i.e., heat is received from the ground and is used to heat the home (in the refrigerator, the heat is removed from the products and discharged in the kitchen through the cooling element at the back of the refrigerator). In summer, the heat pump can cool the building as well.

Electricity is required for the heat pump to operate and ensure the flow of the heat carrier in the heating system. Heat pumps with a higher COP work best. The COP demonstrates the number of units of heat a device generates by consuming one unit of electricity. It should be remembered that as the outside air temperature decreases, so does the efficiency of the heat pump.

It is also important to choose the model of the heat pump that suits your region. The heat pumps for the Scandinavian region are the most suitable for the climate in Latvia as they continue to operate even in very harsh winters and wet weather. To ensure that the purchased heat pump will even work in particularly cold winters, become familiarised with the technical information provided by the manufacturer about the device before purchasing it.