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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction 1: Introduction To Geothermal Technologies
Discovering geothermal cooling
What is geothermal?
What is "earth-coupled" heating and cooling?
Clean, green energy with great promise
Reducing peak demand
Reducing the use of fossil fuels
Reducing carbon emissions
Coal-fired electricity for geothermal versus natural gas
Summary
2: Heat Transfer And HVAC Basics
Understanding heat transfer
Heat transfer and geothermal HVAC
Main parts of a geothermal system
Basics of mechanical refrigeration
Types of heating and cooling equipment
Conventional fuel burners
Electric resistance heating
Heat pumps
Passive solar
Adiabatic, evaporative, or swamp coolers
Direct expansion systems
Chillers
Absorption chiller system
Cooling towers
Critical issue of equipment sizing
What is the size of my current system(s)?
Summary
3: Geothermal Heat Pumps And Their Uses
Passive and forced-air earth-coupled duct systems
Water-source, forced-air heat pumps (water-to-air heat pumps)
Direct expansion geothermal heat pumps
Water-to-water heat pumps (heat pump chillers and boilers)
Applications of geothermal heat pumps
Pool heaters
Domestic hot water
Process cooling and heating
Rooftop equipment
Modular or piggyback units
Package terminal heat pumps
Vertical stack modular units
100% fresh air equipment
Refrigeration systems
Hybrid systems
Superefficient DC HVAC
Keeping the cows cool
Summary
4: Earth Coupling Through Ground Loops
Getting the load and loop size right
Piping material
Grout and backfill
Manifolds or header systems
Loop designs
Vertical loops
Horizontal loops
Pond, lake, or ocean loops (use with caution )
Pumping groundwater, lake water, or seawater (open-loop systems)
Pump and reinjection
Standing column wells
Surficial aquifers and caisson infiltration
Concerns with open loops
Open loops versus closed loops
Summary
5: Introduction To Load Sharing
Benefits of load sharing
Case of a large hotel
Earth coupling as thermal savings bank
Summary
6: Efficiency And Load Calculations Simplified
Rating geothermal systems
Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) (for gas furnaces)
Cooling load in kW/ton
Coefficient of performance (COP)
Energy efficiency ratio (EER)
Determining actual efficiencies
Load calculations
Manuals published by the air conditioning contractors of America
Manual J: Residential heat gain and loss analysis
Manual N: Commercial heat gain and loss analysis
Manual D: Residential duct design
Manual Q: Commercial low-pressure duct design
Energy calculations and value
Summary
7: Understanding Pricing And Geothermal Systems
Factors that affect the price of geothermal HVAC
Efficiency rating
Quality
System sizes
Topography
Load sharing
Sales volume and competition
Optional upgrades
Heat recovery for domestic hot water
Domestic hot water geothermal heat pumps
Exchanger materials
Compressor stages
Hot gas reheat
Intermediate exchangers
Direct digital controls (DDC)
Summary
8: Incentives, Tax Credits, Rebates
U S federal tax credits
Commercial tax credits and incentives
Feingold-Ensign Support Renewable Energy Act
Home star (cash for caulkers)
Rural Energy Saving Program Act
State and local incentives
PACE funding
Summary
9: Understanding Geothermal Project Proposals
Typical geothermal HVAC proposals
Poor proposals
Good proposals
Summary
10: How To Calculate Your Payback
Determining ROI on residential systems
ROI on geothermal pool heat pumps
Calculating payback periods for commercial geothermal systems
Net present value
30 cents a KWh: the big impact of higher electric rates
Summary
11: Verifying Your Systems
Actual SEER and EER results
Factors that can affect efficiency
Regional climate issues
How to calculate your own EER
Data points
Minimum efficiency standards
Summary
12: Life Cycles And Longevity
Benefits of indoor equipment
How to determine when upgrades pay off
Summary
13: Common Problems And Horror Stories
Word on water conservation
Common issues
Underground hazards
Pressurized pockets
Broken or damaged loops
Design and installation fails
Choosing the wrong loop type
Unfinished jobs
Pushy contracts
Miscommunication, faulty equipment, inexperience-oh my!
Misunderstanding the technology
Summary
14: Geothermal Spreads around the Globe
Geothermal HVAC efforts around the world
Australia
China
Eastern Europe
South Korea
Western Europe
Conclusion
Appendix : Geothermal HVAC Resources
Government
Advocacy and professional
Manufacturers
Installers
Index.
Introduction 1: Introduction To Geothermal Technologies
Discovering geothermal cooling
What is geothermal?
What is "earth-coupled" heating and cooling?
Clean, green energy with great promise
Reducing peak demand
Reducing the use of fossil fuels
Reducing carbon emissions
Coal-fired electricity for geothermal versus natural gas
Summary
2: Heat Transfer And HVAC Basics
Understanding heat transfer
Heat transfer and geothermal HVAC
Main parts of a geothermal system
Basics of mechanical refrigeration
Types of heating and cooling equipment
Conventional fuel burners
Electric resistance heating
Heat pumps
Passive solar
Adiabatic, evaporative, or swamp coolers
Direct expansion systems
Chillers
Absorption chiller system
Cooling towers
Critical issue of equipment sizing
What is the size of my current system(s)?
Summary
3: Geothermal Heat Pumps And Their Uses
Passive and forced-air earth-coupled duct systems
Water-source, forced-air heat pumps (water-to-air heat pumps)
Direct expansion geothermal heat pumps
Water-to-water heat pumps (heat pump chillers and boilers)
Applications of geothermal heat pumps
Pool heaters
Domestic hot water
Process cooling and heating
Rooftop equipment
Modular or piggyback units
Package terminal heat pumps
Vertical stack modular units
100% fresh air equipment
Refrigeration systems
Hybrid systems
Superefficient DC HVAC
Keeping the cows cool
Summary
4: Earth Coupling Through Ground Loops
Getting the load and loop size right
Piping material
Grout and backfill
Manifolds or header systems
Loop designs
Vertical loops
Horizontal loops
Pond, lake, or ocean loops (use with caution )
Pumping groundwater, lake water, or seawater (open-loop systems)
Pump and reinjection
Standing column wells
Surficial aquifers and caisson infiltration
Concerns with open loops
Open loops versus closed loops
Summary
5: Introduction To Load Sharing
Benefits of load sharing
Case of a large hotel
Earth coupling as thermal savings bank
Summary
6: Efficiency And Load Calculations Simplified
Rating geothermal systems
Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) (for gas furnaces)
Cooling load in kW/ton
Coefficient of performance (COP)
Energy efficiency ratio (EER)
Determining actual efficiencies
Load calculations
Manuals published by the air conditioning contractors of America
Manual J: Residential heat gain and loss analysis
Manual N: Commercial heat gain and loss analysis
Manual D: Residential duct design
Manual Q: Commercial low-pressure duct design
Energy calculations and value
Summary
7: Understanding Pricing And Geothermal Systems
Factors that affect the price of geothermal HVAC
Efficiency rating
Quality
System sizes
Topography
Load sharing
Sales volume and competition
Optional upgrades
Heat recovery for domestic hot water
Domestic hot water geothermal heat pumps
Exchanger materials
Compressor stages
Hot gas reheat
Intermediate exchangers
Direct digital controls (DDC)
Summary
8: Incentives, Tax Credits, Rebates
U S federal tax credits
Commercial tax credits and incentives
Feingold-Ensign Support Renewable Energy Act
Home star (cash for caulkers)
Rural Energy Saving Program Act
State and local incentives
PACE funding
Summary
9: Understanding Geothermal Project Proposals
Typical geothermal HVAC proposals
Poor proposals
Good proposals
Summary
10: How To Calculate Your Payback
Determining ROI on residential systems
ROI on geothermal pool heat pumps
Calculating payback periods for commercial geothermal systems
Net present value
30 cents a KWh: the big impact of higher electric rates
Summary
11: Verifying Your Systems
Actual SEER and EER results
Factors that can affect efficiency
Regional climate issues
How to calculate your own EER
Data points
Minimum efficiency standards
Summary
12: Life Cycles And Longevity
Benefits of indoor equipment
How to determine when upgrades pay off
Summary
13: Common Problems And Horror Stories
Word on water conservation
Common issues
Underground hazards
Pressurized pockets
Broken or damaged loops
Design and installation fails
Choosing the wrong loop type
Unfinished jobs
Pushy contracts
Miscommunication, faulty equipment, inexperience-oh my!
Misunderstanding the technology
Summary
14: Geothermal Spreads around the Globe
Geothermal HVAC efforts around the world
Australia
China
Eastern Europe
South Korea
Western Europe
Conclusion
Appendix : Geothermal HVAC Resources
Government
Advocacy and professional
Manufacturers
Installers
Index.