Shallow Geothermal Heat Exchanging
The largest consumption of energy to contend with when growing alga year round in a closed loop is the power required to heat or cool the water in which it is growing. Most species of algae grows best between 68 and 78 degrees F. “Shallow Geothermal Energy” refers to the constant heat energy that is present year-round in the soil located just a few feet underground. Temperatures underground are normally between 50 to 70 degrees F year-round depending on where in the U.S. you are located. In the winter months, far less energy is needed to raise 50 degree F water to 68 degrees F than trying to use 15 degree F air to do the same job. Similarly in the summer, it is more efficient to use 50 degree water to cool water to 78 degrees F rather than trying to use 110 degree F air to do the same job. Using the above method can translate into a 500% increase in heating and cooling energy efficiency by using the heat that already exists below ground and capturing and storing the infrared sunlight radiation absorbed by the water in the biomass growth tubing. It should be noted that this process does not add or remove any water from underground. It simply uses a heat exchanging system of closed tubing filled with water to absorb and transfer only heat to and from the soil underground.
This first reference is out of New York and focuses primarily on using soil alone
http://www.nyserda.org/programs/geothermal/geothermal_manual.pdf
This second reference is out of Paris and focuses primarily on using local underground aquifers
http://www.ifp.com/content/download/67937/1473469/file/22_Lopez.pdf
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