Escuela de Politécnica Superior

Heating and cooling consume a high amount of energy, which is today mainly provided by fossil fuels. To save fossil resources and simultaneously reduce pollutants and CO2, heating and cooling energy consumption should be reduced. Geothermal energy is a clean, inexhaustible source of energy that is available all year round because it does not depend on the weather. Nevertheless, the use of tempered subsoil air has been used as a traditional air conditioning strategy; however, nowadays, its use has been questioned by the discovery of the leaks of radon gas from the ground. The investigation searches a heat exchange system with the subsoil which prevents the introduction of radon gas into living spaces. The system that is exposed increases the performance of aerothermal heat pumps by means of thermal exchange with tempered air in the sanitary chamber. This exchange is more favorable than air at the outside temperature, increasing the COP of the machine. This system complies with the regulations for protection against radon, protecting the building from this radioactive gas.