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A analysis by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that installing geothermal heat pumps in about 70% of U.S. buildings could reduce current U.S. electricity demand by 15% annually, eliminate up to 7 billion metric tons of carbon-equivalent emissions through and potentially avoid the construction of 24,500 miles of new electricity transmission.
In the southern United States, where summer air conditioning demand often strains local grids, widespread geothermal heat pump adoption could reduce average building electricity consumption by up to 26%, the study found. Farther north, the technology can supplement or replace gas and oil boilers, cutting on-site carbon emissions by up to 78%.
Lower operational costs than traditional HVAC
These figures that point to the potential impact of geothermal heat pump installations come as no surprise to Scott Wieskamp, director of operations for Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska. In the mid-s, Lincoln built six new schools: four buildings with geothermal heat pumps and two that run on traditional boiler-and-chiller HVAC systems. All six remain in service today. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been studying them since the early s, as the installations make it easy to compare long-term climate control performance of the two approaches.
&#;It&#;s night and day when you compare those first geothermal schools&#; energy consumption and total cost of energy&#; against the schools with boilers and chillers, said Wieskamp, who oversees the maintenance of Lincoln Public Schools buildings and grounds and supervises their custodial staff. The geothermal schools&#; annual heating and cooling costs come to about 70 cents per square foot compared with about $1.50 per square foot at the two schools running on traditional HVAC systems, he said.
Over the years, the school system has converted all but those two school buildings &#; across a district that comprises 74 school buildings spanning nearly 8 million square feet &#; to be heated and cooled by geothermal heat pump systems, Wieskamp said. U.S. public school districts in Austin, Texas, and Boulder, Colorado use this technology, as do thousands of institutional, commercial and multifamily buildings and campuses across the country.
GHP systems, also known as ground-source heat pumps, geo-exchangers, or GHPs, transfer heat energy between underground reservoirs &#; which remain at relatively constant temperatures year-round &#; and conditioned buildings. They have three subsystems &#; a closed heat-collector loop that circulates fluid through an outdoor borefield to absorb or reject heat, heat pump units that concentrate and transfer heat into or out of the ground reservoir, and forced-air ducts or water pipes that directly heat or cool indoor spaces.
While geothermal climate control is efficient and reliable when properly designed, installed and operated, these problems do happen. For example, in Greenwich, Connecticut, one public middle school is running on a diesel-fired backup unit as district leaders mull over whether to replace a failing ground source system with a more carbon-intensive gas boiler. School officials have &#;acknowledged that the system was not used or maintained properly in the past and that it was designed incorrectly, all of which hastened its failure,&#; according to local media reports.
In ideal conditions, GHPs are several times more efficient than fossil-fuel and electric resistance heating systems because &#;there&#;s always energy in the ground, and you&#;re just moving it around,&#; rather than generating it, said Steve Zehr, a Chicago-based mechanical engineer with Grumman/Butkus. But they must be designed and installed property if they are to meet performance expectations and reduce building operation costs, he said. NREL&#;s research also underscores the importance of optimizing systems based on accurately analyzed demand, supply potential and regional geothermal resources, especially for large systems.
In interviews with Facilities Dive, Zehr, Wieskamp and other facilities managers shared what they have learned from designing and operating geothermal heat pump systems &#; and what facilities managers should consider before installing them.
Borefield sizing and design:
In Evanston, Illinois, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary abandoned its GHP system after a few years of poor performance, said Zehr, whom the seminary hired to troubleshoot the system. The issue was an undersized borefield that couldn&#;t keep up with the seminary&#;s heating and cooling demand, Zehr said. &#;From what we&#;ve seen, the design engineer properly sized the borefield, but the installation contractor decided to drill fewer, deeper wells,&#; he said. Deeper wells can transfer and store more energy, but their actual performance depends on site-specific soil conditions that require a professional test bore to assess, he said.
Space constraints:
GHP borefields do not occupy as much space as commonly assumed, said Mark Nussbaum, principal at the Oak Park, Illinois-based Architectural Consulting Engineers. Nussbaum designed a GHP system for a Chicago-area congregation on a &#;postage-stamp&#;-sized lot, using extra-deep boreholes spaced closer than the 20-foot standard. Some contractors specialize in indoor borefields for severely space-constrained buildings, with holes drilled through the foundation, Nussbaum said. Since deeper wells have higher upfront costs, GHP systems may not be cost-effective for close-set buildings with high heating and cooling loads, he said.
Retrofitting requirements:
Older buildings with steam heat need to be retrofitted to accommodate GHPs, Nussbaum said. Because GHP systems run water at pressures too high for steam pipes, this work includes repiping and additional mechanical equipment that may increase project costs, he said.
Backup or hybrid options:
Properly designed GHPs perform well in winter and do not require gas or resistance-electric backup heat, said Lincoln Public Schools&#; Wieskamp. But, where retrofitting is impractical or too costly, or in facilities with intense, round-the-clock heating and cooling needs, operators should consider dual-fuel
hybrid GHP systems
that &#;run on [backup fuel] maybe 10% of the time,&#; Nussbaum said. The hybrid system Nussbaum designed for the Evanston History Center in Illinois left the 19th-century mansion&#;s radiant heating system in place and &#;works like a charm even when it&#;s minus 10 [degrees] out,&#; said Kris Hartzell, director of facilities, visitor services and collections at the history center.
Heat pump placement:
Generally, centralized systems, which have fewer but higher-capacity heat pump chillers that collect ground loop fluid, concentrate heat, and distribute heated or cooled air or water throughout the building, are more cost-effective for larger buildings, Zehr said. Distributed systems, which have a larger number of lower-capacity heat pumps, make sense for heating and cooling smaller facilities, he said. Because they require more space, distributed systems may require &#;creative solutions&#; in retrofit scenarios, said Wieskamp, whose team has had to excavate new below-grade mechanical rooms to house heat pumps for older school buildings. There are no significant differences in reported performance and cost between centralized and distributed systems, NREL says.
Heat pump make and performance:
Properly installed borefields should last for many decades, Wieskamp said, but the heat pumps themselves can wear out in as
little as 20 years
Link to Forlssman
, according to the DOE. In Colorado, the Boulder Valley School District has had &#;age- and manufacturer-related issues&#; with heat pumps installed about 15 years ago, despite the geothermal part of the system being &#;bulletproof,&#; said Travis Cook, the district&#;s HVAC manager.
Drilling costs:
Geothermal drilling costs vary considerably, Nussbaum said. Drilling in the Chicago area, where labor and expertise are in short supply, costs up to four times more than in Peoria, Illinois, he said. Drilling accounts for a significant share of total costs &#;and is often what kills these projects,&#; he added.
Upfront expense and payback period:
Geothermal systems have lower operating and maintenance costs but higher installation costs, Wieskamp said. He estimated that the upfront cost of Lincoln Public Schools&#; systems would be 20% to 30% more than comparable gas boiler and chiller systems, but the lower ongoing costs of geothermal systems would offset that premium within 10 years. GHP users can shorten their payback periods by using less energy during their utilities&#; peak demand windows, when rates are usually higher, he said.
Inflation Reduction Act tax credits
can help, too, especially for tax-exempt government and nonprofit organizations eligible for
direct payments
, Nussbaum said. Still, upfront costs give some would-be users pause: In Colorado, Boulder Valley School District outfitted two schools with GHPs in the past 15 years, but financial considerations led the district to drop similar plans for other schools, said Ghita Carroll, head of sustainability and energy for the district.
Heat pumps are among the most efficient ways to cater to residential heating and cooling needs. They deliver twice the energy they consume, have lower running costs, require less maintenance, and reduce carbon emissions. Due to these and other benefits, the number of heat pumps installed in residential and commercial spaces has steadily increased over the past few years.
Every household has different heating and cooling needs. However, as an end-user looking to purchase a heat pump, there are some important considerations to make. You must make a well-informed choice to get the most out of your heat pump system and enjoy its many benefits. Below is an overview of the most important factors to consider before buying a heat pump.
The climate conditions where you live are an important consideration when purchasing a heat pump system. Advancements in heat pump technology have ensured that heat pumps function effectively in various climate conditions. However, if you live in a geographical region with an especially cold climate, it is important to go for a system specifically designed for those conditions.
The efficiency of air-source heat pumps reduces as temperatures drop. As such, if your area experiences cold weather regularly, it's recommendable to go for a cold climate heat pump. This type of heat pump features innovative technology that enables it to function efficiently at very low temperatures, including:
Cold-weather refrigerants &#; Refrigerants that have lower boiling points. These refrigerants can flow through a system at low temperatures and draw more heat from cold air.
Variable compressors &#; Heat pump manufacturers have refined compressor designs to improve efficiency. Cold weather heat pumps feature variable compressors with real-time speed adjustment. This allows them to increase speeds at extreme temperatures.
Engineering optimization &#; Increased compressor capacity, reduced ambient airflow, and improved compression cycle all contribute to the efficient function at low temperatures.
The good news is that heat pump vendors like SPRSUN provide a wide range of heat pump systems designed to operate in various climate conditions, even freezing cold weather. Note that you may need additional appliances to support and complement your heat pump.
Understanding the various types of heat pumps available and their differences is important. The primary heat pumps homeowners are privy to include air-source, geothermal (ground-source), and water-source heat pumps. Air-source heat pumps extract heat from ambient air and upgrade the temperature to a more useful temperature.
Air-source heat pumps also have cooling modes. An air-to-air heat pump heats the air in a building, while an air-to-water heat pump heats water that circulates around the home through under-floor heating or radiators, releasing heat into the spaces. Historically, air-source heat pumps are the most widely used type since they are relatively inexpensive and easier to install. Air-source heat pumps can also be ducted or ductless.
Ground-source or geothermal heat pumps extract heat from the ground. You can also use them for cooling, transferring heat into the ground via a ground loop. These heat pump systems are more costly to install since they require borehole drilling to place heat exchanger piping.
Water-source heat pumps extract heat from a body of water, which must be sufficiently large to withstand the cooling effects of the system. These water bodies include water deposits, reservoirs, ponds, and lakes. Domestic units don&#;t often use these types of heat pumps.
SPRSUN offers a huge choice of heat pump systems to suit the needs of every type of home. Other types of heat pumps in the market include exhaust air and solar-assisted heat pumps. Each type of heat pump has its pros and cons, which you should consider before making your final decision.
Not all heat pumps are created equal. There is significant variation in terms of size, capacity, and power. The best heat pump system for your needs depends on the property's characteristics, such as your building envelope, the number of rooms you need to condition, and how big or small they are. Selecting a heat pump system appropriate for the building allows it to operate more efficiently.
If you go for an oversized system, you will waste energy. On the other hand, if you choose an undersized model, it will struggle to maintain core temperatures and, as a result, wear out faster. The larger the areas you need to heat or cool, the higher the heat pump capacity you require. Several other factors also come into play.
Some of these factors, including insulation, air filtration, and heat loss, are best determined by a heat pump expert. The specialists measure your floor area and room height, inspect your insulation, and estimate heat loss to help you determine the most suitable heat pump size for your needs. If you have high-performance insulation on your ceiling and in your walls and energy-efficient windows, a small low-capacity heat pump may be enough to meet your needs.
The efficiency of a heat pump system is expressed as a coefficient of performance (CoP). The higher the CoP, the more efficient the system is and the less energy it consumes. You should ideally aim for heat pumps that exceed the minimum energy performance standards for year-round comfort without worrying about energy bills.
One of the best ways to gauge the energy efficiency of a heat pump is to determine its energy star rating. This is a policy initiative formulated to help consumers make informed choices regarding appliances. Red stars typically indicate heating efficiency, while blue stars indicate cooling efficiency. The more stars a heat pump model has, the more energy you will save, and you'll incur fewer operational costs.
The most energy-efficient heat pumps in the market are geothermal, water-source, and split system heat pumps. Ground and water source systems use less electricity to extract heat from the earth's natural resources. Split system heat pumps are ductless, with indoor air handlers attached to a single condenser outdoors. About 30% of energy is lost through ductwork.
Getting rid of the duct system contributes to the high energy efficiency of these heat pump systems. Fortunately, modern heat pumps are highly energy efficient. SPRSUN heat pumps have the ERP A+++ energy class rating for high energy efficiency.
A heat pump system is a major investment for your home, and thus your budget should be one of the top considerations. Your budget encompasses several important factors, including upfront purchase price, installation costs, operational costs, maintenance, and repairs.
Air-source heat pumps are typically the most affordable, with unit and installation costs ranging between $3,000 and $. Ductless mini-split options are even cheaper. Geothermal heat pumps have high startup costs due to extensive installation work, with unit and installation costs ranging between $10,000 and $30,000.
However, they are highly efficient long-term. High-efficiency heat pumps have high initial purchase costs, but you benefit from lower operational costs in the long term. These units are also eligible for rebates and tax benefits.
Generally, the more upfront investment, the less you&#;ll incur in the long run. Your budget will also determine the heat pump size (capacity). Small heat pumps cost significantly less than large multi-ton units.
Before purchasing a heat pump system, you should ask yourself how loud it will be. Heat pump systems make varying amounts of noise. The noise factor becomes even more important when you are gravitating toward an air-source heat pump system. Generally, the noise that an appliance produces should not exceed acceptable levels.
These levels will vary depending on your location or building codes. Some areas require very low noise levels. It's important to consult your heat pump vendor about the noise levels produced by the different models before making the plunge. Fortunately, not all heat pumps are noisy.
Most heat pumps operate at approximately 50 dB. This is about the same noise level as a refrigerator or car driving by. However, various low-noise models operate at levels as low as 35 dB. SPRSUN has a wide range of units that run at satisfactory low noise levels.
The heat pump functions and features represent a significant part of your overall experience. Modern heat pumps come with a wide variety of smart features that allow you an extra level of convenience, comfort, and control. The features that are important to you will depend on your use cases, property characteristics, and preferences.
Generally, the heat pump features that can greatly improve your experience include smart device connectivity, intelligent control, noise reduction, modulation, comfort mode, 3D airflow, and sleep mode. For example, internet connectivity can help with diagnostics. If you encounter a problem, troubleshooting can be conducted remotely without an expert having to come to the site.
The space available for installation in and around the building should also inform your choice of a heat pump, including the type. Fortunately, SPRSUN offers a wide range of different-sized heat pump systems to ensure you find the best fit.
Your heat pump vendor can assess your available spaces to determine the best types and models for your case. Air-source heat pumps typically take up the least amount of space. These systems are also easy to integrate into existing spaces, making them ideal options for renovation projects.
Geothermal and water-source heat pumps are viable options if you have the significant square footage to spare. Some geothermal heat pumps often require a sizeable flat surface for energy extraction. Water-source heat pumps also take up a lot of space as they require the creation of wells. There are also zoning rules and regulations that you must adhere to when installing these types of heat pump systems.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Commercial Heat Pump. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.