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ECM: Space Heating & Cooling

H10. Install Geothermal Heat Pumps

Description

Photo: Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat extracted from the ground and water sources.Geothermal heat pumps--also know as ground-source heat pumps--transfer heat extracted from the ground and water sources such as lakes and ponds, rather than produce heat. Geothermal units are at least 30 percent more efficient than air source heat pumps which transfer heat from the air, and twice as efficient as electric resistance heating. Geothermal heat pumps use a system of pipes, pumps, and glycol/water solutions to extract heat from the ground, lakes, and ponds in the heating mode, and reverses its flow to discharge heat in the air conditioning mode. Geothermal heat pumps also provide maintenance benefits to PHAs since they have no outdoor coils or components that can be damaged.

Applicability

  • Single-family and multifamily buildings
    Replace central furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners, and water heaters

Types

  • Earth-coupled
    • open loop
    • closed loop
    • vertical wells
    • horizontal loop
  • Water-coupled
    • closed loop

Considerations

  • Installing geothermal systems for space and water heating, in addition to air conditioning Photo: Geothermal heat pumps use a system of pipes, pumps, and solutionsrequires large up-front capital expenditures.
  • Geothermal heat pumps have the lowest life-cycle costs for space heating, water heating, and air conditioning.
  • Geothermal heat pumps have lower maintenance costs than furnaces, boilers, and air conditioners.
  • A qualified engineer should be involved in system design.
  • Other HVAC system energy-conservation measures should be evaluated as alternatives or complements to this measure.

Performance/Economics

  • Geothermal heat pumps are:
    • 2.5 to 4 times more efficient than electric-resistance space heating.
    • 2.5 to four times more efficient than electric-resistance water heating.
    • 75 percent more efficient than oil furnaces.
    • 48 percent more efficient than gas furnaces.
    • 40 percent more efficient than air-source heat pumps.

     

Resources/Links

Energy Conservation for Housing – A Workbook, HUD, September 1998. ages 7-79 through 7-83 address geothermal heat pumps as an ECM.

Improving Energy Efficiency in Apartment Buildings, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 1995. ISBN 0-918249-23-6. Page 88 addresses using groundwater (geothermal) heat pumps in apartment buildings.

Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, 1999, ISBN 0-918249-38-4. Geothermal heat pumps are addressed on pages 70 through 74. 

ENERGY STAR Program: Geothermal Heat Pumps. Addresses geothermal heat pump installations and applications, including products that earn the ENERGY STAR, and product efficiency criteria.

PATH Technology Inventory: Geothermal Heat Pumps. Addresses the economics and applications of geothermal heat pump technologies.

Geothermal Heat Pumps. Addresses geothermal heat pump technologies, applications, and economics. 

 

CAUTION STATEMENT

TURN OFF UTILITIES: Turn off electricity, gas, propane, and other utilities before starting repairs, cleaning, or installations to avoid accident or injury.

BE AWARE OF LEAD-BASED PAINT HAZARDS: Many residences built before 1978 have paint that contains lead, which can pose a serious health hazard if paint, chips, and dust are not handled properly. See the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lead brief before disturbing painted surfaces in homes of this vintage. Follow the HUD "Lead-Safe Housing Rule" for requirements for notification, evaluation and reduction of lead-based paint hazards.

BE AWARE OF ASBESTOS HAZARDS: Homes older than 1977 may have building products that contain asbestos such as insulation, high-temperature gaskets, roofing and siding shingles, and vinyl sheet flooring. See the EPA asbestos brief before disturbing such materials.

BE AWARE OF MOLD AND MOISTURE HAZARDS: Molds can gradually destroy materials they grow on; can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people; can cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold; and can cause other serious health problems. To learn more about preventing and cleaning up mold in homes, see these mold guides and the EPA brief on What to Wear When Cleaning Moldy Areas.