Abstract
This paper presents the research performed in the laboratory of Renewable Energy Sources within the Petroleum-Gas University of Ploieºti regarding the use of heat pumps for surface geothermal energy extraction. The paper also examines the decrease of thermal power extracted via heat exchangers mounted in the soil, due to the cooling of the surrounding soil. The results obtained for a simple U-shaped loop mounted in a vertical shaft are presented as well. Keywords: thermal decline, Geoexchange, polyethylene, heat pump, numerical models