Technology name

Ground Source Heat Pump

Date introduced on the market

Introduced on the market at the turn of the century; patented in 1912

Maturity of the technology

Commercially available

Type of energy that can be produced
Typical example/application

Energy from the ground loop can be transferred to the farm residence, workshops, storage shops, pig barns and many other applications in the agricultural sector.

Payback and/or benefits

Using geothermal on the farm for heating and cooling can reduce operating costs and thus increase revenue. Heating and cooling costs could be reduced by as much as 70% in some buildings.

Design, Installation, Operation And Maintenance, Cost
Range of possible dimension/size for the system:

Buildings of 800 sq. ft. or larger can be heated and cooled economically. Drilling costs in different regions of the country will affect the cost of an installed system (cost of drilling).

Considerations when sizing the system:

 

Range of size for an HP System:

 

Range of performance of the technology per unit installed:

 

Range of costs per unit of delivered energy:

 

Expertise, skills, training required for design:

 

Expertise, skills, training required for installation:

Properly trained HVAC technicians, manufacturer trained on equipment and ground source loop installation.

Expertise, skills, training required for operation:

Once unit is installed, owner looks after basic operations.

Range of operational and maintenance requirements:

 

Limitations of the system, typical problems that could arise:

If air filters are not properly cleaned or maintained, the system will run inefficiently and the life expectancy of the equipment will be decreased.

Life expectancy:

Life expectancy for various systems according to ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers http://www.ashrae.org/ is as follows:

Average life expectancy by equipment type:

One thing to note is that these numbers are dated, and as the need for technology grows, the manufacturing practices are becoming increasingly advanced and we are seeing longer equipment life. The market is also demanding higher-end equipment.

Software/tools to do prefeasibility level study or better:

-GchpCalc (V. 4.0) www.geokiss.com

-GLHEPRO http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu/publication/software.htm

-Ground Loop Design (V. 2.7) www.groundloopdesign.com

-GS 2000 http://www.canetaenergy.com/index.html

-GEOCALC http://www.fizzymagic.net/Geocaching/GeoCalc/GeoCalc.html


Synergies
Input and output for the technology:

Links To More Information And Recommendations (Red Tape)

Here are few suggested readings and supplier links. More can be found on the Internet by searching for words such as “ground source heat pump,” or “geothermal.”

Links to more information and recommendations:

 

Sources of Supply:
Recommendations:

 

Glossary:

-Btu – British Thermal Unit (Measure of Heat)

-Btu/h – Heat Units Per Hour

-DOE – Department of Energy

-COP – Coefficient of Performance = Btu output/Btu input

COP is simply the efficiency rating. A unit that has a COP of 4 would be 400% efficient compared to an electric furnace that has a COP of 1 or 100% Efficiency. The higher the COP, the better.

-EWT – Entering Water Temperature

-GLHP – Ground Loop Heat Pump

-GSHP – Ground Source Heat Pump

-GWHP – Ground Water Heat Pump

-HVAC – Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning

-2 US/GPM @ 44°F/10,000 Btu/h – Water Requirement for Well Systems

-60,000 Btu/h (32°F EWT) – Heat pump output rating at 32°F entering ground loop temperature

-US/GPM – US Gallon Per Minute