Geothermal HVAC

✍ Scribed by Jay Egg, Brian Howard

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 272
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

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

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 12
Acknowledgments......Page 18
Introduction......Page 20
1 Introduction to Geothermal Technologies......Page 24
“Discovering” Geothermal Cooling......Page 27
What Is Geothermal?......Page 30
What Is “Earth-Coupled” Heating and Cooling?......Page 31
Reducing Peak Demand......Page 34
Reducing the Use of Fossil Fuels......Page 35
Reducing Carbon Emissions......Page 37
Coal-Fired Electricity for Geothermal versus Natural Gas......Page 39
Summary......Page 40
2 Heat Transfer and HVAC Basics......Page 42
Understanding Heat Transfer......Page 44
Heat Transfer and Geothermal HVAC......Page 47
The Main Parts of a Geothermal System......Page 50
The Basics of Mechanical Refrigeration......Page 51
Types of Heating and Cooling Equipment......Page 53
Conventional Fuel Burners......Page 55
Passive Solar......Page 56
Adiabatic, Evaporative, or Swamp Coolers......Page 57
Chillers......Page 59
Cooling Towers......Page 61
The Critical Issue of Equipment Sizing......Page 62
What Is the Size of My Current System(s)?......Page 64
Summary......Page 65
3 Geothermal Heat Pumps and Their Uses......Page 68
Passive and Forced-Air Earth-Coupled Duct Systems......Page 70
Water-Source, Forced-Air Heat Pumps (Water-to-Air Heat Pumps)......Page 71
Direct Expansion Geothermal Heat Pumps......Page 75
Water-to-Water Heat Pumps (Heat Pump Chillers and Boilers)......Page 77
Pool Heaters......Page 79
Domestic Hot Water......Page 80
Process Cooling and Heating......Page 82
Modular or Piggyback Units......Page 83
Vertical Stack Modular Units......Page 85
100% Fresh Air Equipment......Page 86
Hybrid Systems......Page 87
Superefficient DC HVAC......Page 88
Keeping the Cows Cool......Page 89
Summary......Page 90
4 Earth Coupling through Ground Loops......Page 92
Getting the Load and Loop Size Right......Page 95
Piping Material......Page 97
Manifolds or Header Systems......Page 98
Loop Designs......Page 100
Vertical Loops......Page 102
Horizontal Loops......Page 103
Pond, Lake, or Ocean Loops (Use with Caution)......Page 107
Pumping Groundwater, Lake Water, or Seawater (Open-Loop Systems)......Page 108
Pump and Reinjection......Page 110
Surficial Aquifers and Caisson Infiltration......Page 111
Concerns with Open Loops......Page 112
Open Loops versus Closed Loops......Page 116
Summary......Page 120
5 Introduction to Load Sharing......Page 122
Benefits of Load Sharing......Page 124
The Case of a Large Hotel......Page 126
Earth Coupling as Thermal Savings Bank......Page 130
Summary......Page 134
6 Efficiency and Load Calculations Simplified......Page 136
Rating Geothermal Systems......Page 139
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) (for Gas Furnaces)......Page 141
Coefficient of Performance (COP)......Page 142
Determining Actual Efficiencies......Page 143
Load Calculations......Page 147
Manual J: Residential Heat Gain and Loss Analysis......Page 148
Energy Calculations and Value......Page 149
Summary......Page 151
7 Understanding Pricing of Geothermal Systems......Page 152
Factors That Affect the Price of Geothermal HVAC......Page 157
Quality......Page 158
Load Sharing......Page 159
Heat Recovery for Domestic Hot Water......Page 161
Domestic Hot Water Geothermal Heat Pumps......Page 162
Compressor Stages......Page 163
Hot Gas Reheat......Page 164
Direct Digital Controls (DDC)......Page 165
Summary......Page 166
8 Incentives, Tax Credits, and Rebates......Page 168
U.S. Federal Tax Credits......Page 172
Commercial Tax Credits and Incentives......Page 176
The Feingold-Ensign Support Renewable Energy Act......Page 177
Rural Energy Savings Program Act......Page 179
PACE Funding......Page 180
Summary......Page 182
9 Understanding Geothermal Project Proposals......Page 184
Poor Proposals......Page 187
Good Proposals......Page 189
Summary......Page 197
10 How to Calculate Your Payback......Page 198
Determining ROI on Residential Systems......Page 202
ROI on Geothermal Pool Heat Pumps......Page 204
Calculating Payback Periods for Commercial Geothermal Systems......Page 205
Net Present Value......Page 207
Summary......Page 208
11 Verifying Your System......Page 210
Actual SEER and EER Results......Page 213
Regional Climate Issues......Page 217
Data Points......Page 218
Minimum Efficiency Standards......Page 221
Summary......Page 222
12 Life Cycles and Longevity......Page 224
The Benefits of Indoor Equipment......Page 226
How to Determine When Upgrades Pay Off......Page 227
Summary......Page 231
13 Common Problems and Horror Stories......Page 232
Underground Hazards......Page 235
Broken or Damaged Loops......Page 236
Choosing the Wrong Loop Type......Page 237
Unfinished Jobs......Page 238
Miscommunication, Faulty Equipment, Inexperience—Oh My!......Page 239
Misunderstanding the Technology......Page 241
Summary......Page 242
14 Geothermal Spreads around the Globe......Page 244
Australia......Page 249
South Korea......Page 250
Western Europe......Page 251
Conclusion......Page 252
Appendix: Geothermal HVAC Resources......Page 256
Government......Page 258
Advocacy and Professional......Page 259
Manufacturers......Page 261
Installers......Page 262
C......Page 264
E......Page 265
H......Page 267
L......Page 268
P......Page 269
S......Page 270
W......Page 271