Geothermal systems, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and air-source heat pumps are designed to move heat. These closed-looped systems efficiently provide both hot and cold amenities.
All require small amounts of electricity to move heat from one location to another by using a compressor, evaporator coil and refrigerant.
During the winter, geothermal systems move heat into your home courtesy of Mother Earth and from higher refrigerant temperatures. A closed-loop system returns a cold byproduct to the earth to be warmed again.
During the summer, the opposite effect happens to the refrigerant when the geothermal unit is switched to the cooling mode. The hot byproduct in the closed-loop system is returned back the earth to be cooled again. But, before heading back to the earth, heat BTUs are removed and used to heat your water at virtually no cost.