Geothermal/Solar System Used To Melt Snow-Covered Driveway

Several days ago we reported that researchers had come up with an invention in the form of electrified concrete that could melt snow away. The idea is that instead of going around pouring expensive chemicals onto the snow to help clear roads and driveways, this would be a quicker and cheaper solution.

However it turns out that those researchers weren’t alone in their thinking. Over in New Jersey, the Parikh family have come up with their own solution in the form of a geothermal/solar system that helps to keep their driveways snow-free. Basically throughout the year, the home will capture rainwater and heat it using a solar thermal system and store it inside insulated tanks.

The water is then sent through ground-source heat pumps that will distribute the 100-degree water through a network of underground heating pipes, thus melting the snow away. This concept is similar to those you might in Korea, in which heating pipes run under homes in order to provide warmth during the winter season.

According to Asit Parikh who helped his father Raj Parikh design their home, “We wanted to draw a line in the sand against climate change and not have a house that used gas or oil. Nobody is going to question our heating system when it melts away blizzards. We are creating a green building people want to live in.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Green
Tags: Solar