Ground source vs. Geo Thermal

[isyeskeert]

These are terms that have blended in meanings. Geo thermal used to mean "Old Faithful" the geyser that blows regularly due to the heating of water under the surface of the earth. What has happened here?

[csealer]

I think the term Geothermal started being on ground source heat pumps in the late 70's or early 80's? GSHP where being promoted as geothermal to take advantage of a Fed tax credit that applied to geothermal (geyser heat). There were a lot of upset customers when they found out the tax credit didn't apply to their heat pump. The term has stuck since then. Similarly we still refer to AC in tons (of ice) even though most of the ice houses are long gone.

[motoguy128]

Yup... just good markeing. It's only "green" energy because it's more energy efficient, not because there's anything organic or natural about drilling holes and sinking plastic pipes in the ground.

Using water at a relatively cool and constant temperature, makes for much more efficient and consistent heat transfer. It's still jsut a heat pump. I think some customers beleive there's something magical about them. There goes away quick if they have insufficent ground loops, or the loops are installed incorrectly. When water temps get into triple digits, they get short on capacity perform more like air source units.

[airmanone]

Yup... just good markeing. It's only "green" energy because it's more energy efficient, not because there's anything organic or natural about drilling holes and sinking plastic pipes in the ground.

Using water at a relatively cool and constant temperature, makes for much more efficient and consistent heat transfer. It's still jsut a heat pump. I think some customers beleive there's something magical about them. There goes away quick if they have insufficent ground loops, or the loops are installed incorrectly. When water temps get into triple digits, they get short on capacity perform more like air source units.

So, overall, is GEO bad for the environment because it actually drills into the ground and could possibly contaminate the ground and/or ground water?

[csealer]

Geo is green because it uses less energy than other forms of heat (except solar). Drilling has the potential to do harm in areas by mixing under ground salt water with fresh water aquifers but a good driller should know how to prevent this.

[mo geo man]

Another term to consider is carbon footprint. Most green discussions now include this term which actually is more relivent to utility companies but is being brought out buy developers and contractors for new developments. If they can reduce the carbon footprint the project is considered green! My understanding is that this is a tax on the utilities from the government and will only get worse if cap and trade passes.

[aaronforprez]

Most customers of mine are baffled when i explain how the GSHP works. Most assumed that the only electricity used to move heat into their homes was the fan motor and the pump bringing hot water out of the center of the earth.
A compressor? Refrigeration system? What?

well, 200' down doesn't get me to molten lava portion of the earth ... sorry.

i wish i could sell a fan motor and 2 grunfus pumps for $18,000... a little more to it than that.

[Mathew Hyden]

Water management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and optimum use of water resources (http://www.studebakersubmetering.com/)

[Air Doctor, Inc]

Ground Source Heat Pumps is the proper term to be used. But geothermal has been used because of the ground being used as the heat sink. Pumping water through the pipes in the ground is one of the best ways to have heat transfer. Water is better than air. In the summer the heat in the space is transfered to the ground via the water being pumped from the unit. In the winter the constant ground temperature, above freezing helps to boil the refrigerant to produce heat, along with the electric motor and friction of the compressor. To understand the process one has to understand the refrigeration cycle. It is Green because of the renewable energy of the sun warming the ground.

[OSR]

How about the true pay back on these and not the bogus version where the equipment last 30 years ..... :rollseyes: