Thermal energy rises and falls with the temperature. In other words, thermal energy is heat, and it isn't hard to see how it deeply affects our daily lives. In summertime, thermal energy outside is at its yearly peak, and so we work to mitigate that energy by cooling our homes. In the winter, roles reverse. There is little thermal energy ambient in the air outside, so we do our best to add heat to our homes while keeping the cool winter air out.
Our greatest source of natural thermal energy is the sun. Even on a clear day in the dead of winter, the sun delivers plenty of thermal energy to ground level. While the earth around us is often wrapped in snow and shielded against the heat, our homes can capture that valuable heat through windows and building materials. The earth as well - just a few feet below the surface - is at a relatively constant temperature. It's warmer than the surface in winter and cooler in summer, which presents the valuable heating and cooling resource we call geothermal energy.
We use thermal energy in all sorts of ways. Active gas, geothermal and solar heating systems all thrive off thermal energy. Water heaters exist only because of thermal energy and homes can be designed strategically to take advantage of thermal energy. As a matter of fact, it's our ability to understand, capture and manipulate thermal energy that provides us with the comfortable living we appreciate. Here, you will learn more about thermal energy and the many systems we've created to harness this valuable force. From solar to geothermal to natural gas, if it's heated, it's full of thermal energy.
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