Geothermal Heat Pumps Installation Guide

Geothermal Heat Pumps is the most comprehensive guide to the selection, design and installation of geothermal heat pumps available. This leading manual presents the most recent information and market developments in order to put any installer, engineer or architect in the position to design, select and install a domestic geothermal heat pump system. Internationally respected expert Karl Ochsner presents the reasons to use heat pumps, introduces basic theory and reviews the wide variety of available heat pump models.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling is a complete revision of Ground-Source Heat Pumps: Design of Geothermal Systems for Commercial and Institutional Buildings, which is recognized as the primary reference for nonresidential ground-source heat pump (GSHP) installations. This new work takes advantage of the many lessons learned since the time of the original publication, when GSHPs were primarily residential applications. Many improvements have evolved, and performance data, both positive and negative, is now available to guide the development of best practices. This essential guide for HVAC design engineers, design-build contractors, GSHP subcontractors, and energy/construction managers also provides building owners and architects with insights into characteristics of quality engineering firms and the information that should be provided by design firms competing for GSHP projects.This revision draws on new ASHRAE and industry research in critical areas, as well as measured data from long-term installations and optimized installation practices used by high-production GSHP contractors. Nearly all chapters and appendices were completely rewritten, and they include coverage of closed-loop ground (ground-coupled), groundwater, and surface-water systems plus GSHP equipment and piping. Additional information on site characterization has been added, including a new hydrogeological chapter. Another new chapter contains results of recent field studies, energy and demand characteristics, and updated information to optimize GSHP system cost. While other publications deal primarily with ground-coupled heat pumps, this text includes detailed coverage of groundwater, surface-water, and GSHP costs.Tables, graphs, and equations are provided in both Inch-Pound (I-P) and International System (SI) units. As a bonus, supplemental Microsoft® Excel® macro-enabled spreadsheets for a variety of GSHP calculations accompany the text.

This comprehensive compilation of DOE documents provides unique and practical information about geothermal heat pumps, including small geothermal systems and DIY systems. Contents: Chapter 1: Small Geothermal Systems: A Guide For The Do-It-Yourselfer * Chapter 2: Using The Earth To Heat and Cool Buildings * Chapter 3: An Information Survival Kit For The Prospective Geothermal Heat Pump Owner * Chapter 4: Success Stories of the Geothermal Energy Program * Chapter 5: Ground-Source Heat Pumps: Overview of Market Status, Barriers to Adoption, and Options for Overcoming Barriers A heat pump-like an air conditioner or refrigerator-moves heat from one place to another. In the summer, a geothermal heat pump (GHP) operating in a cooling mode lowers indoor temperatures by transferring heat from inside a building to the ground outside or below it. Unlike an air conditioner, though, a heat pump's process can be reversed. In the winter, a GHP extracts heat from the ground and transfers it inside. Also, the GHP can use waste heat from summer air-conditioning to provide virtually free hot-water heating. The energy value of the heat moved is typically more than three times the electricity used in the transfer process. GHPs are efficient and require no backup heat because the earth stays at a relatively moderate temperature throughout the year. A GHP system has three major components: a ground loop (buried piping system), the heat pump itself (inside the house), and a heating and cooling distribution system. There are two main types of GHP systems. The earth-coupled (or closed-loop) GHP uses sealed horizontal or vertical pipes as heat exchangers through which water, or water and antifreeze, transfer heat to or from the ground. The second type, the water-source (or open-loop) GHP, pumps water from a well or other source to the heat exchanger, then back to the source. Because of their versatility, earth-coupled systems dominate the GHP market. Typical loop installations for the earth-coupled systems are expected to work for 50 years. More than 400,000 GHPs are operating in homes, schools, and commercial buildings in the United States. They are adaptable to virtually any kind of building; the Federal government has installed nearly 10,000 GHPs. Geothermal resources are available across the United States at varying depths, providing a ubiquitous buried treasure of domestic renewable energy. Enormous amounts of hydrothermal geothermal energy is available in the western United States, but theoretically, geothermal sources are available across the United States. The key to being able to use geothermal energy is to find a way to enhance geothermal systems lacking key natural characteristics. Natural geothermal systems depend on three factors to produce energy: heat, water, and permeability. While heat is present virtually everywhere at depth, water and permeability are less abundant. Geothermal technology is an attractive renewable resource because it can provide a constant source of renewable baseload electricity. While the sun and wind offer a large potential source of renewable energy that varies over time, geothermal technology is uninterruptible and can provide a stable baseload form of energy while diversifying the nation's renewable portfolio. Geothermal energy has low environmental risk and impact. When used with a closed-loop binary power plant, geothermal systems emit zero greenhouse gas emissions and have a near zero environmental risk or impact.

In-depth, practical details on geothermal HVAC systems This definitive guide covers commercial and residential geothermal heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technologies and explains how to take advantage of their money- and energy-saving features. Geothermal HVAC: Green Heating and Cooling reviews the array of choices currently available, offers market values for systems based on varying options and conditions, and describes how to pair the best systems for each application and budget. Whether you're a contractor or a consumer, you'll find out what you need to know to implement a geothermal HVAC system in a retrofit or new construction project, and start benefiting from this sustainable, affordable technology. Find out how to: Learn the basic types of heat transfer--convection, conduction, and radiation Understand how geothermal earth-coupled heat pumps work Determine which ground loops to use for earth coupling to best meet the demands of the site Use load sharing to channel the heat differential of one device into useful energy for another Calculate system efficiencies and heat gain and loss Understand geothermal project proposals and system pricing Benefit from incentives, tax credits, and rebates for geothermal HVAC systems Calculate your long-term return on investment Verify that your installed system is working as intended Troubleshoot your system and avoid common problems