The Large Potential of Geothermal Heat Pump Systems

December 3rd, 2010 by Guest Contributor

This special guest post comes to us from Mark Mizrahi, CEO and President of EnLink Geoenergy Services, Inc.

Recently, we have seen an increase in new construction aiming to achieve LEED certification and even Net Zero Energy buildings. Although market trends for construction have seen a decline in recent years, the U.S. Green Building Council estimates the growth in LEED certified buildings is continuing and will have doubled from 2009 to 2013.

In California, the California Energy Commission and California Public Utilities Commission are advancing efforts to mandate that all new construction for the residential sector be Net Zero by 2030 and for the commercial sector by 2050. With Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards now policy for utility companies, other states are sure to follow California’s lead.

Inevitably all buildings will become Net Zero Energy. It is a necessity. Net Zero Energy building means a building is not a net user of energy; that is, it produces as much as it uses. As buildings currently account for approximately 40% of all primary energy use in the U.S., and are responsible for a corresponding 40% of all CO₂ emissions, the beneficial consequences of Net Zero Energy buildings are immense.

If Net Zero is the solution the question becomes, “how can we achieve this?”

Simple applications of specific technologies could easily reduce the energy loads required for a building’s operation dramatically. Geothermal Heat Pump Systems (also referred to as ground source heat pump systems) could be the most effective of these technologies. On average, 65% of a building’s energy load is consumed for heating and cooling purposes. The EPA suggests geothermal systems can potentially reduce the amount of energy used for heating and cooling by up to 72%. During cooling periods, GHP systems use excess heat for a building’s domestic hot water needs, reducing the amount of energy required by another 5-10%. A conservative estimate of the total reduction in energy consumed by a building would be 40%. In short, a single, existing and proven technology could conservatively cut a buildings energy use almost in half.

The concept behind geothermal systems is simple. They utilize the constant temperature of the earth’s shallow layers to cool and heat buildings without the need for chillers or boilers. The earth is used as a heat sink in the summer, and a heat source in the winter.

Geothermal systems not only dramatically reduce the amount of energy consumption of buildings, but have other proven benefits as well. These benefits include water conservation, reduced operating, maintenance and replacement costs, no on site use of fossil fuels, and system longevity. Geothermal systems are versatile and can work in combination with any energy management program. The systems are the only demand side renewable that works the same in all regions and is available at all points of use.

Geothermal can also be a major contributor toward LEED certification for buildings. Industry estimates are the systems can provide up to 34 potential LEED points towards certification. It only takes 40 to get basic certification.

With this information on hand, why hasn’t there been more effort to increase the frequency of geothermal heat pump system use? One reason is that much of the current policy initiatives are related to supply side renewables, namely solar photovoltaics and wind turbines. While renewable sources of energy are indeed part of the solution, demand side energy efficiency measures are essential. Most energy efficiency efforts are focused on incremental steps like lighting and insulation, not on more far-reaching technologies like geothermal. Notwithstanding, there is an increase in use of these systems and we expect them to grow significantly in the coming years, given the objectives we will be required to work towards.

EnLink Geoenergy Services, Inc., a turnkey full-service geothermal contractor, and a leader in the design and installation of geothermal heat pump systems, has produced significant energy savings on multiple projects throughout the U.S. EnLink is based in Los Angeles County, California.

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Tags: EnLink, EnLink Geoenergy, geothermal heat pump, geothermal heat pumps, GHP, ground source heat, ground source heat pumps, ground-source, LEED, net zero, Net Zero Energy

About the Author

Guest Contributor

Rich Williams

Great information here and I’d like to make use of the GSHP concept but I have a great deal of trouble “selling” the initial cost of construction even when the “buyers” say they understand the long-term savings. A proposed 150K square foot building in north Florida with plenty of room for a GSHP field and an expected life-span of about 57 years should attract a great deal of savings, but folks just aren’t buying the up-front costs.
http://www.wholebuffalo.com WholeBuffalo

Nice info on geothermal, and totally correct on the effectiveness of demand side efficiency. Don’t dismiss insulation though–well insulated homes can reduce heating and cooling needs to nearly zero.
Geoff Henderson

I think the remark that most research and attention has gone to the supply side of renewables. Maybe that’s fair enough, but it may have obscured energy saving potential.

It’s hardly a secret that the developed countries consume way too much energy per capita, with a few exceptions. A large wedge of climate change defence is reduction in consumption leading to lower GHG’s, so it is great to see more attention to the consumption side.
And thanks for the book tip Penelope.
- Penelope
  
  I love that you mentioned supply side having too much attention with regard to renewables. Just excersizing the use of geothermal in homes and businesses could eliminate the need for new power plants for 20 years (Oakridge lab report on Geothermal, August 2010). The real key here…reduced power generation construction means lower energy costs…on top of the 50% energy saving realized by installing geothermal heating and cooling in the first place. Exponentially Brilliant…I hope we keep on the track!
Bob Wallace

Mark, I have set up alerts to track news about geothermal electricity generation and they trap a lot of information about new geothermal heat pump installations. But I see nothing that seems to come from any industry group which collects data about number/size of installations, costs, technological improvements and carbon emission avoidance.

Might it be a good idea for suppliers and installers to combine efforts in an effort to spread the word? Something like AWEA does for wind.
- Liz
  
  The GHPsRUS Project is a multi-year project to measure the costs and benefits of nationwide geothermal heat pump deployment. Be in the loop at GHPsRUS.com.
Davita

I’ve been involved in several geothermal projects. One recently didn’t go so well. I wish I had that book Penelope spoke of. I just bought an e-copy from Amazon, and right there in one of the chapters it said not to do what we did, and it failed. Save yourself a lot of heartache, and get yourself schooled with the Geothermal Book from McGraw-Hill.
http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0071746102 Penelope

Earthlink is right on the mark here. Geothermal HVAC technology is the most effective energy efficiency technology in the world today. Geothermal has the highest NPV, quickest ROI, and nothing else even comes close to the longevity of a geothermal heating and air conditioning system. McGraw-Hill released “Geothermal HVAC, Green Heating and Cooling” last month in an effort to educate consumers and professionals on the technology. I’m a LEED AP…after a few days of reading, I had dispelled all myths and knew more about geothermal heating and cooling than anyone else in I’ve ever met…really! Just Google”Geothermal Book” and see for yourself!
http://steadystaterevolution.org Joshua Nelson

I have wondered why we aren’t taking advantage of the geothermal heating/cooling as well as geothermal energy. Overall, in my mind, it is one of the best renewables out there – it runs round the clock, without disturbances from changes in weather (which there will be more and more occurring in our new climate) and they can be constructed without the need of rare earth elements or other hard to find commodities.

Seems like geothermal truly is a win-win.

Cheers,
Joshua
Eric

Great article. Very good but underutilized technology.