Our Technology
We're working towards a sustainable future, where buildings use the natural thermal energy in the ground to reduce the energy and emissions required for heating and cooling.
PAST
Ground-based housing for passive heating and cooling.
Energy Efficiency: More is Produced than Used
300%+
0%
Zero Emissions Required
Renewable: System is Balanced with the Seasons
100%
FUTURE
Renewable geothermal heating and cooling.
21%
Energy Used in Canada
CO2 Emissions in Canada
22%
80%
Building Energy for Heating & Cooling
PRESENT
Exposed buildings require more energy.
Conventional geothermal uses a separate array of in-ground heat exchangers, which can lead to high costs of installation.
Moving Forward
with Research
Innovia GEO is committed to the development of new research, and the sharing of its findings in our field. We believe that this helps improve the sustainability of building systems as a whole.
Development of these piles was performed with an academic research partnership to model their performance and guide their design.
Socio-Economic Benefits
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Reducing the cost of renewable thermal energy systems, allowing wider implementation.
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Increasing the range of potential geothermal sites, servicing remote communities.
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Improving the thermal comfort and health of occupants by offering both heating and cooling from the same system.
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Reducing dependence on fuel transportation & costs for communities that rely on combustion based heating.
Environmental Benefits
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Using existing structural components reduces the material and installation environmental costs of the system.
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Minimal site and soil disturbance, through screw drilling.
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Our water based systems remove the risk for ground-water or soil contamination.
Geo-Piles
They utilize existing structural equipment to replace conventional geothermal equipment - yielding two building functions from the same installation cost.
Geo-Piles are a new type of in-ground heat exchanger developed by Innovia GEO.
Building Performance Benefits
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Improving the reliability of thermal energy systems, while reducing the energy demand.
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Opportunity for smart building integration with custom control system and monitoring.
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Increased property value by creation of on-site thermal energy generation system.
Industry Benefits
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Increasing the applications of conventional drilling techniques, to add further employment opportunities for skilled industries.
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Pushing for increased coordination between research, technologies, and knowledge between adjacent industries.
Geo-piles use the existing steel piles used to anchor a building to deliver the heat exchange required by the heat pump.
Permafrost Piles
Climate change is causing thawing of permafrost in northern Canada.
Our research has shown that geo-piles may be able to address both of these issues. The piles will provide foundational support, and renewable heating at far greater efficiencies and reduced combustion gases than current sources.
While extracting heat from the ground to warm the buildings, these geo-piles can also provide a cooling effect to the permafrost that will reduce thawing and prevent damage due to sinking.
This has serious economic, environmental, and social consequences. Meanwhile, there is widespread energy poverty, and a lack of reliable energy systems resulting in housing needs in these same regions.
This system was invented and researched by Sarah R Nicholson.
Geo-piles have the potential to reduce the thawing of permafrost while also providing remote communities with sustainable thermal energy.