Space Zoo Patrol ROCK the SUN Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal Heat Pumps

by Ryan Dougherty, President, Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium

 

Background

  • What is this technology called?

Geothermal heat pumps. These are also sometimes called ground-source heat pumps or water-source heat pumps.

  • How does it work?

These machines work just like an air-conditioner or a refrigerator. They pump heat, just like their name indicates! But they are a special kind of heat pump, one that uses the ground to exchange heat. In the winter, when the air is say 40 degrees F and below the ground the temperature is 55 degrees, the geothermal heat pump draws heat out of the ground. And in the summer, say the temperature outside is 85 degrees, the pump moves heat from your house back into the ground and brings in air that is 55 degrees. It is like a big battery in your backyard that you use to heat and cool your house!

  • Who invented it? And when and where?

The concept of using the ground to heat and cool has been around for centuries. But the current technology was perfected in the 1980s. Much of the credit for research and development of geothermal heat pump technology goes to Dr. Jim Bose from Oklahoma State University.

 

Advantages

  • What are the environmental advantages? (air, land, water)

Geothermal heat pumps are the most environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems in existence. There is no burning of fossil fuels to make heat for your home. As our electricity becomes cleaner and more solar, wind, hydropower, and other green generation technologies spread throughout our electrical grid, the emissions profile of electric heating and cooling technologies improves even more. Geothermal heat pumps use a relatively small amount of electrical energy to move free and natural thermal energy back and forth between the ground and the home. Geothermal heat pumps usually use one unit of electrical energy to move four or five units of thermal energy.

  • What are the life cycle financial advantages?

Geothermal heat pumps pay for themselves! Customers can expect to save 40-70% in annual energy costs over conventional heating and cooling systems. Over time, geothermal heat pumps are the most efficient and cost-effective technology for heating and cooling.

  • What jobs are created? (design, manufacturing, installation)

Geothermal heat pumps require skilled technicians to design and install them. They are connected to the earth and usually a drilling team is needed to install the pipes that connect to the heat pump. An indoor heating and cooling contractor usually does the work of hooking up the heat pump to the ground heat exchanger loop portion. Geothermal heat pumps are great job producers and economic boosters!

 

Energy Efficiency

  • How efficient is this technology? (percentage efficiency)

Geothermal heat pumps are the most efficient heating and cooling technology in existence. They are 40-70% more efficient than conventional heating and cooling equipment.

  • How many units are needed for 1 house, 1 school, 1 community?

The size of the building will dictate how many units are needed. For a house of average size, one unit will usually be enough. For a school, you might use a unit for one to three classrooms. For a community, you could connect all of the ground loops together and “share” the ground’s thermal energy with one unit in each home on the share dloop.

  • What percentage of total population (US, world) uses this technology today?

In some countries such as Sweden, geothermal heat pumps are widely prevalent, installed in more than half of buildings. In the U.S., the technology is only about 1% of all homes, around 1 million.

  • What percentage of total population (US, world) could use this technology?

The technology can be applied all over the country. There are geothermal heat pump systems in northern Alaska and in southern Florida. The geothermal industry is aiming to install the technology in 28 million U.S. homes by 2050.

  • What geographical areas can this be used in?

Geothermal heat pumps can be used anywhere!

 

Engineering / Mechanical

  • How is it manufactured?

Geothermal heat pumps are built right here in the U.S. by skilled manufacturing technicians. Component parts (that includes a compressor, a blower, a heat exchange plate, control systems, and other valves and parts) are assembled into a single unit to create a fully functional geothermal heat pump.

  • Where is it manufactured?

Geothermal heat pumps are built in the U.S.

  • What maintenance is required?

Geothermal heat pumps, once installed, require very little maintenance. A system owner simply needs to clean a filter a few times a year. They generally last much longer than other types of heating and cooling systems because they are inside the building and protected from outdoor elements.

 

 

Education

     

    • What classes should I take in school to work on this technology?

    You should learn about science, specifically basic physics and thermodynamics. Geology is another skill that is very useful in the geothermal heat pump industry. And mechanical engineering is a great entry point to the industry. Knowledge of refrigeration principles and heating and cooling technologies in general are very important to be a geothermal professional.

     

    Geo Thermal Heat Pump (picture shows cooling house in summer).

    Geothermal Heat Pumps 1