Polar Bear Geothermal

Geothermal, from borehole to plant room.

We design, install and service geothermal heating and cooling for homes and commercial buildings across the GTA and Southern Ontario.

Plan a project Explore the work

AI-generated illustration.

How a geothermal job goes.

Three parts: the loop field outside, the pipe that connects it, and the equipment inside.

AI-generated illustration.

Drilling the loop field.

We look at the ground, the access and the building load first. That decides how many boreholes and how deep, or whether a horizontal or lake loop fits better.

Discuss your site

Drilling the loop field. We look at the ground, the access and the building load first. That decides how many boreholes and how deep, or whether a horizontal or lake loop fits better. Discuss your site

Connecting the loop. Supply and return lines run from the field, or from a lake loop like this one, into the building. The loop is pressure tested before it is buried or sunk. Understand the system

Piping the plant room. Inside, the loop meets the pumps and the heat pumps. We pipe in hard copper, and in steel on some commercial plants. Explore commercial projects

What we check before we quote.

Before the drill arrives

Review site access, underground services, available ground or water, geology, permissions and the building load. Borehole depth and field size require site-specific design.

At the building connection

Define the source-side pipework, pumping, electrical work, controls, distribution changes and commissioning records. Agree who owns each part of the installation.

For a retrofit

Document the current heating system, peak loads, supply-temperature needs, electrical service and workable phasing before deciding what can be retained.

Plays from YouTube in privacy-enhanced mode when you press play.

A working plant: 501 Alliance Avenue.

Polar Bear’s original film follows the central plant, ground-loop connections, building distribution and service access at a Toronto retrofit.

0:26The central heat-pump plant 4:25Ground-loop headers 6:45Control-panel layout 10:20Ventilation and heat recovery

Published in 2020.

Polar Bear vertical water-to-air heat pump with its return-air filter fitted, indicator lights on and copper water connections — AI render based on photographs of Polar Bear equipment.

The equipment

The heat pumps we install, built in Toronto.

Polar Bear water-source heat pumps are built in Toronto by Polar Bear Water Source Heat Pump Mfg. Inc. and configured for the building, the source and the power on site.

16configurations, from compact vertical units to water-to-water and triple-function

COP 4.6highest published heating efficiency, at 50°F entering water

96,000Btu/h heating from a single compressor (PBSM-96)

Your voltage230 V single-phase, or the other voltages Copeland offers for each compressor

Domestic hot-water desuperheaters, 6,000–12,000 Btu/h
Electric duct heater back-up, 5–20 kW
Two-step compressor models
ECM fan motors; three-phase motors with inverters
Pool dehumidification units
Condo units with a built-in HRV

See the range and ratings Full model charts

Ratings as published in the Polar Bear Water Source Heat Pump Mfg. Inc. product specification, in Btu/h at the entering water temperature (EWT) shown. Selection, capacity and efficiency at your design conditions are confirmed during project design. Equipment is manufactured by Polar Bear Water Source Heat Pump Mfg. Inc., a separate company; Polar Bear Geothermal designs, installs and services it.

What kind of job is it?

01New buildPlan geothermal for a new property.02RetrofitExplore geothermal for your current building.03ServiceGet help with an existing system.

See the equipment. Understand the options.

Explore the system options

How can we help?

Homes

Plan a system for a new home or review the practical scope of a retrofit.

Residential geothermal

Commercial buildings

Coordinate plant, source loops and distribution around the building’s operating needs.

Commercial geothermal

Service

Start with the symptoms, equipment details and available operating records.

Service and maintenance

Vertical, horizontal or lake loop.

A geothermal heat pump exchanges heat with the ground or a body of water through a sealed loop of pipe. Vertical boreholes use the least surface area, horizontal trenches need more open ground, and a lake loop needs suitable water close by. Site conditions and the building’s loads decide which option fits.

How the design comes together

Illustration of a house with a basement heat pump connected to vertical boreholes, a horizontal trench loop and a lake loop — Illustration, not to scale. The three options are drawn together for comparison; a project normally uses one.

A geothermal lake loop being towed into position on a lake in winter, before it is sunk — Lake loop, going in.The ground, the water and the space available shape the loop. Here, a lake loop is floated into place before it is sunk.

Plan your geothermal project.

Share your location, current heating and cooling system, and timing.

Discuss your project +1 647 914 8114