At one time if you had asked me what green building technologies do I recommend, I would have put geothermal heating and cooling systems on the top of the list... especially for buildings in Ohio. The system does work and does provide significant energy savings after all. In order for me to fully buy into a building technology such as geothermal, I would have to believe that this would be a great idea for all buildings. As such, I can no longer endorse geothermal.
Sadly disappointed, my opinion is rooted within the idea that the antifreeze chemicals flowing through the tubing, if erupted into the environment, would be too damaging for the gain we would receive from its energy efficiency savings. Once having a hydrogeologist for a roommate, I learned that our precious water tables are to be preserved at all costs. In order for many geothermal systems to function, the lines penetrate through the water table and reach down further into the earth's crust; which is especially true for the larger commercial projects.
If geothermal tubing should erupt and flood into the water table, we are contaminating our primary clean water supply. When at a seminar, I asked this critical question only to hear the following response from the manufacturer's representative, "Yeah, the EPA doesn't like us very much." The tubing can erupt especially within seismic regions of the country; bear in mind there are many seismic zones for which even the smallest tremor could be destructive for the tubing. Old age can also cause the tubing to leach antifreeze.
Creative design professionals who love all things green... let's come up with some other solutions. My previous post on passive house design is one solution for which I can recommend with confidence. Geothermal would be perfect if a water-only system could be invented. Look for my full article to be published in the Winter 2011-12 edition of AIA Ohio Architypes.
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