Wind and solar technologies may hog the spotlight (and subsidies) in Ontario, but behind the scene geo-exchange heating and cooling systems are being quietly deployed by the thousands across the province every year.
Geothermal heating and cooling is one of the oldest and most reliable renewable energy technologies. The temeperature several feet below the surface of the ground remains at a steady 55 degrees all year. In winter, the warmer thermal energy underground is transferred to the building. The reverse happens in the summer. The building still needs air conditioning and heating but instead of it reacting to whatever the temperature outside is, the baseline is always 55 degrees, so much less power is needed.