AREEA was established to promote a sustainable and decarbonised future throughout  Australasia with the help of renewable earth energy (geothermal) as one of the cleanest, most efficient heating and cooling technologies. 

AREEA aims to increase understanding, awareness and adoption of the technology through training and certification, development of industry standards and guidelines, government advocacy, partnerships with other sustainable industry providers and with utility and power industry.

A ground source heat pump (GSHP) system takes advantage of the relatively constant temperature of the ground throughout the year, for the case of Melbourne, that is approximately 18°C, for Auckland, 16°C.

The schematic below shows how shallow geothermal systems work in general using the ground as heat source/sink. In closed loop systems, a heat pump is connected to pipes that are embedded in the ground, with a circulating fluid, typically water, that exchanges the heat to/from the ground. When heating is needed (winter) heat is transferred from the ground to the fluid and when cooling  is needed, from the fluid to the ground. The heat pump receives this fluid and upgrades the heat (or coolth) so that the building or industrial process that is connected to can be heated (or air conditioned).

Some of the benefits of this technology includes:

• Low running costs.

• Can operate 24/7, without problems of "intermittency".

• GSHP systems typically run on electricity which can be sourced from other renewable during the day (e.g., solar photovoltaic) and cheaper grid electricity (or batteries) at night.  

• Provision of on-site renewable heating and cooling, 

• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions given GSHP's inherent efficiency, contributing to meet the government's emission and renewable energy targets (e.g, zero emissions by 2050 or earlier).

• Although GSHP requires upfront investment, equipment last typically longer than alternatives (e.g.,  ground heat exchangers, a major part of capital costs, can be expected to last for over 100 years; GSHPs tend to last longer than air source heat pumps located outside).

• Silent and out of sight (GSHPs can be installed indoors, basements, etc.). Architects and city planners love them. 

• Skilled job creation, given the detailed understanding required of the local geology and conditions to appropriately sized (design) systems and to install them.