Enertran™ Energy Transfer Systems

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Geothermal Information

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Geothermal/Geoexchange Systems

Introduction

Homeowners in most regions of North America are enjoying unsurpassed levels of comfort and significantly reduced energy costs by using leading edge geothermal central heating and cooling. This technology relies primarily on the earth's natural thermal energy, "a renewable resource", to heat or cool a house or multifamily dwelling. The only additional energy geothermal systems require is a minimal amount of electricity they employ to concentrate the natural thermal energy which, Mother Nature provides and to circulate high quality, central heating and cooling throughout the home.

Homeowners who use Geothermal systems rate them as superior to other conventional heating and cooling systems because of their ability to deliver comfortably warm air and/or hydronic in-floor heating, even on the coldest winter days and because of their extraordinarily low operating costs. Since a Geothermal System is reversible, they offer the added benefit of central A/C and dehumidification. As an additional benefit, geothermal systems can provide inexpensive domestic hot water, either to supplement or replace entirely the output of a conventional, domestic water heater.

Geothermal heating and cooling is cost effective because it uses renewable underground energy, in an extremely efficient manner. In the heating season, a Geothermal System will absorb approximately 70% of the energy from the ground and the remaining 30% would come from the electrical grid. For this reason, GSHP Systems are considered, very environmentally friendly and many government agencies endorse geothermal technologies.

"Geothermal Systems are the most energy efficient heating and cooling systems available today" -- Ontario Hydro.

How Geothermal Systems Work

Each year, the sun supplies us with about 500 times more energy than we could possibly use. The Earth absorbs solar energy and retains it below the frost level, thereby creating a constant temperature of 50°F to 70°F, depending on geographic location. Working with a customised underground loop or open well water system, an Enertran™ Geothermal System utilises this constant temperature to exchange energy between your home and the Earth, as needed for heating and cooling. Geothermal Systems dramatically reduce CO2 emissions, as compared to fossil fuel burning systems, which add to the CO2 emission problem. The specific amount of CO2 reduction would be based on the electrical fuel grid in a given country or region. Since a Geothermal System does not burn fossil fuels, a chimney is not needed in the home.

In the heating Season,
the open or closed loop fluid/well water is circulated the through the system to absorb heat from the earth/water, and then that heat is transferred to your home. The geothermal system processes the extracted heat and compresses it to a higher temperature, which is then distributed throughout the home using traditional duct systems.

In the Air Conditioning Season,
the heating process is reversed, and the geothermal unit absorbs heat from inside the home and sends it back to the cooler earth. The energy then re-warms the Earth for the next heating season.

By using the natural temperature of the earth, a geothermal system is the most efficient method available to provide year round comfort and high efficiency performance. There are many basic energy sources available to earth energy systems or ground-source heat pump (GSHP) customers. The most common energy sources are, "Closed Vertical Loop", "Closed Horizontal Loop", "Closed Pond, River or Lake Loop" or and "Open Well" System. You are standing on a free energy source. The secret is, how we economically take advantage of these energy sources available to us.

Technology

An earth energy installation or ground-source heat pump (GSHP) is one of the most efficient means available to provide space heating/cooling for homes and offices, in virtually all regions throughout the world. It transfers the heat located immediately under the earth's surface (or in a body of water) into a building in winter, using the same principle as a refrigerator that extracts heat from food and rejects into a kitchen. A heat pump takes heat from its source at a low temperature and discharges it at a higher temperature, allowing the unit to supply more heat than the equivalent energy supplied to the heat pump.

Many people are familiar with air-to-air heat pumps, which use outdoor air as the source of heat. These units are well suited for moderate climates, but they do not operate efficiently when the outdoor temperature drops below -10°C and there is little "heat" left in the air to extract. It is more difficult to extract or reject heat to air because of its low density. A Liquid Energy Source will always outperform an "air to air" system, even given the same operating temperatures.

Environmental Benefits

Governments and energy planners prefer GSHP technology because it is an environmentally benign technology, with no emissions or harmful exhaust. The GSHP industry was the first to move away from damaging CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). Since geothermal systems take 70% of the energy they use from the earth, the environmental benefits are obvious. Although GSHP units require electricity to operate the components, a high COP means that GSHP systems provide a significant reduction in the level of CO2, SO2 and N0x emissions (all linked with the issue of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming).

Durability

Geothermal Systems last longer than conventional systems since they are self-contained, sitting in the place where a standard furnace would sit, completely indoors. Therefore, a Geothermal System is sheltered from extreme outside weather conditions. The system has no noisy, rattling parts to disturb your family. Also, since they are completely inside your home, you will eliminate any noise complaints from your neighbours. A Geothermal System has few moving parts subject to breakdown, helping to keep maintenance to a minimum. With a properly maintained system, the homeowner will enjoy many years of unencumbered comfort. Simple maintenance would include, changing the filter and yearly oiling of the fan motor, as with most conventional furnace and A/C Systems. If an open well system is used the maintenance would include, inspection and maintenance of the well water supply.

General Cost

Earth energy heat pumps provide one of the lowest life-cycle costs for heating and cooling in North America (i.e. the total cost for initial installation and annual operating costs, will be lower than the comparable cost for a conventional heating/cooling system). Earth energy technology is different from a gas or an oil furnace, and it is a long-term investment in comfort and home equity. If a homeowner requests regular servicing, this could easily be arranged through a service contract. Proper performance reflects the quality of installation. Consumers should insist a reputable geothermal contractor install the system. The national installation standard in Canada (CSA C445) addresses aspects of design and installation, but many important points are left to the discretion of the contractor and/or manufacturer. With a bit of homework by the homeowner, the design and installation of an earth energy unit will provide many years of trouble-free operation and lower costs.

Comfort Advantages

A GSHP system warms air in smaller increases over a longer period of time, as compared to the "burst" of a combustion oil or gas furnace. As a result, homeowners notice a stable level of heat with no peaks or troughs, less drafts, etc.

Terminology

Due to the large demand for GSHP as cooling devices in the United States, the earth energy industry uses the term "ton" to describe a unit that will provide approximately 12,000 BTU's of cooling or heating capacity. The cooling capacity on average, for a typical 2,000 square-foot new residence would require a 4-ton unit for sufficient heat, depending on the location.

Co-efficient of Performance (COP)

The major advantage of a GSHP system is that the heat obtained from the ground (via the condenser) is much greater than the electrical energy that is required to drive the various components of the system. The efficiency of a unit is the ratio of heat energy provided versus the electrical energy consumed to obtain that heat, and it is called its "Coefficient of Performance" (COP). As an example, under the "Energy Efficiency Act" in Canada all GSHP units that are sold must exceed a COP of 3.0 (i.e. for every kilowatt of electricity needed to operate the system, the GSHP provides three kilowatts of heat energy).

Electrical Efficiency Ratio (EER)

EER is the "Steady State", "energy efficiency ratio" rating when operating in the cooling mode. EER ratings are arrived at by, dividing the cooling output of the Geothermal Heat Pump (in Btu/Hour) by, the power input (in Watts). For example an EER of 14 would mean that you would receive 60,000 BTU's for the cost of 4286 watts or 4.286 kW. If your electrical rate is $.06/kW, you would pay (6X4.286) to run a 5 ton, 60,000 BTU forced air cooling system. Fuel prices and electrical prices vary dramatically throughout North America and Europe. You may have come across a SEER rating. This is an acronym for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, which is commonly used to calculate the general efficiency of a conventional "air to air" heat pump or standard air conditioner. A Geothermal heat pumps efficiency does not fluctuate because of outdoor air temperatures, as with "air to air" systems, therefore the "steady state" EER rating is commonly used by the industry. Do not be confused the two ratings are not comparable.

Cost Benefits Relating to COP

With a COP of 3.0, the cost of heating would be one-third (i.e. two-thirds less) of the cost to operate an electric resistance heating system, such as baseboards or electric furnace. With a COP of 4.0, the savings can be as much as three-quarters off the price of electric heating, with an EER at 14 the cooling costs will also be reduced dramatically. As earth energy technologies and techniques improve and as the COP increases, the operating savings also increase.

Heat Loss

A very important first step in the design of a GSHP installation is to determine how much heat or cooling is required to satisfy your comfort level. There are standards to calculate the heat loss and heat gain throughout the world The national Canadian installation standard for residential earth energy units (CSA C445) states that the heat loss must be calculated in accordance with a recognised heat loss program. This method needs to establish, the insulation levels of all walls, ceilings and windows, the number of occupants, your geographic location and soil type, and many other factors, to determine the total annual heat loss in British Thermal Units (BTU) or kilowatts (kW). It will also calculate the heat gain, which is used to determine the cooling load for summer (all units will generally provide sufficient cooling, if the unit is large enough to provide sufficient heat). With this final heat loss, the installed unit will match your specific demand.

Balance Point

The outdoor temperature at which a GSHP system can fully satisfy the indoor heating requirement is referred to as the balance point, and is usually -10oC in most regions of Canada and the Northern U.S., specifically. At outdoor air temperatures above this balance point, the GSHP cycles on and off to satisfy the demand for heat indoors. At temperatures below this point, the GSHP unit runs almost continuously, and will also turn on the auxiliary heater (called second stage heat) to meet the demand. In the case where a large residence is concerned, it is common for the GSHP heat pump to be sized to cover 100% of the heat loss. Normally a larger home would require a "Two Stage" or "Dual Staged" (two compressor sections in one unitary system) unit to accomplish this goal. A two-stage system will run at two separate speeds while maintaining the same COP on either speed. This differs on a two speed system in that, a "Two Speed System" will drop the COP when operating in high speed mode, whereas a Two Stage System will not. In a Two Stage System the second compressor becomes the second stage heat/cool. The secondary benefit to a Two Staged System is that the customer can use both stages to cool when the outdoor temperatures increases dramatically in a short period of time, as is common in many locations, globally.

Auxiliary/Emergency Heat

When the outdoor air temperature drops below the design balance point, the GSHP unit cannot meet the full heating demand inside the house (for units sized to 100% of heat loss, this is not an issue). The difference in heat demand is provided by the supplementary or auxiliary heat source, usually an electric resistance element or in some cases a hydronic hot water coil, positioned in the unit's plenum. Like a baseboard heater, the COP of an "electric" auxiliary heater is 1.0, so excessive use of backup heat decreases the overall efficiency of the GSHP system and increases operating costs for the homeowner. A Hydronic fan coil can be employed where a customer has the opportunity to use hot water directly from their domestic hot water tank to help boost the heat output at times of high demand. A hydronic hot water coil would only be used when the customer has a low operating cost (fuel type is the key), quick response, hot water tank available. Using a GSHP complete with a Hydronic Hot Water Coil as backup is commonly referred to as a Dual Fuel System. An electric Hot water tank would not be used in this application, except where a Demand Hot Water Option has been built into the GSHP. See Hot water Options

Sizing

GSHP units do not generally need to meet 100% of the calculated heat loss of a building, as long as they have an auxiliary electric or hydronic coil, heating source for backup and for emergencies. Almost 90% of a home's heat load can be met by a GSHP unit that is sized to 70% of the heat loss, with the remaining 10% of load supplied by the auxiliary plenum heater. You should note that, a homes heat loss is directly related to outdoor temperatures. Therefore even if the system is sized at 70% of the heat loss, the temperature may only drop for a short duration. Over sizing can result in control and operational problems in the cooling mode, especially if the GSHP unit has a single-staged compressor, and the installed cost will increase significantly for little operational savings. Conversely, under-sizing will lower the installed cost, but the additional length of time that the GSHP unit will operate will place excessive demand on many components and may result in unacceptable chill. Although the Canadian CSA standard for installations says that 60% is the minimum, the industry has moved to a sizing level of 70% to 80% of heat loss, as an optimal design size.

Hot Water Options

Desuperheaters and Partial Hot Water (PHW) are the most popular hot water option, usually adding less than $1,000 to the total installation, but reducing approximately 60% to 70% of domestic hot water heating cost to an average household. This option is automatically activated to heat hot water whenever the system is operating either in the heating, cooling or "Demand Hot Water" mode. A desuperheater can be set up as "low" or "high" priority, depending on whether the homeowner wants the ground heat diverted to the domestic hot water first (thereby turning on the auxiliary backup heater) or to heat water only after the space heating requirement has been satisfied. In the cooling mode the Desuperheater will take hot water off the system for domestic hot water use, instead of rejecting the heat to the ground loop which essentially causes free hot water.

On Demand Hot Water systems (ODHW) are most commonly used to heat a hydronic in-floor or a zoned hydronic hot water air coil heating system. With a specifically designed water coil, an On Demand Hot Water System can also be used to heat an indoor or outdoor swimming pool on demand. The difference between a Desuperheater (PHW) and a On Demand Hot Water (ODHW) system is that the Desuperheater will heat a small portion of the domestic hot water, only when the other modes are operating. An On Demand Hot Water System will turn on simply to make hot water with no other modes operating and the amount of hot water will be based on the size of the main systems compressor. An On Demand Hot Water System tied directly to a hot water tank, would be considered a "Quick Response" system.

Air Distribution

GSHP units work efficiently and offer excellent comfort levels because they provide a small temperature rise, but this means that the air coming through the register on your floor is not as hot as the air from a gas or oil furnace. A GSHP unit must heat more air to supply the same amount of heat to your house, and duct sizes are generally slightly larger than those used for combustion furnaces to accommodate the higher CFM (cubic feet per minute) air flow. The ducting is designed to reduce air noise at every point within the ducting system. It is standard practice to insulate the ducts with noise dampening duct insulation at least 10 feet from the system. It is also common practice to use canvas connections at the main supply and return plenum to avoid noise migration to the house. These two issues are generally covered under installation practices and procedures. Although all installers will strive to keep competitive, issues such as these should never be overlooked for cost savings.

Optional Configurations

There are a number of factors that will have a major influence on the installation and performance of an earth energy or ground source heat pump (GSHP) system. It is important for a homeowner to understand these issues. The hot water and other options will all affect the operational efficacy and efficiency, therefore it is very important to look at all options during the design and selection process.

Dual Stage vs. Two Speeds

A dual system differs from what is commonly referred to as a two-speed system in many specific ways. A two-speed system would be used for instance when the cooling load is dramatically different than the heating load or visa versa. Two-speed systems utilise the same compressor where a two staged system uses two separate compression sections. A two Speed System will operate very efficiently on low speed but when you switch to high speed the efficiency will drop. Therefore sizing will be a much more important factor with two speed systems. The benefit to using a Two Stage or two separate compressors, is that the COP will be relatively equal whether you are operating in stage one or both stages. A dual staged system would commonly be used in a home where the heat loss is above 60,000 BTU. This would traditionally be a larger home in a very cold climate or a very hot climate. In a climate where the heat loss and heat gain are reasonably close to one another a single system would be used. Dual Compressor Systems offer unparalleled efficiency because they can be sized specifically to the heat loss and heat gain. For example, in a home that has a heat loss of 90,000 BTU and a heat gain of 30,000 BTU, a two staged system would be used to offer the total heat loss with both compressors operating, then one compressor would be used for the cooling mode. Although a dual system offers excellent efficiency and comfort levels, the capitol cost is obviously higher, therefore, capitol cost vs. efficiency and zoning must be considered at the design stage.

In-floor Heating and Hydronic Backup Hot Water Fan Coils

As stated in the Auxiliary/Emergency heat section, a "Hydronic Hot Water Coil" is often employed where a customer has the opportunity to use hot water directly from their domestic "quick response" hot water tank. Fuel type is the key to help boost the heat output at times of very high heating demand. Using a GSHP complete with a Hydronic Hot Water Coil as backup is commonly referred to as a Dual Fuel System. An electric Hot water tank would not be used in this application, except where a Demand Hot Water Option has been built into the GSHP. An ODHW System is designed to offer the homeowner a fully functional "quick response" hot water system, which can be turned on and off based on the hot water demand. If a hydronic fan coil or In-floor heating has been installed, along with an ODHW, the ODHW would be the, highly efficient source of heat. If a hydronic fan coil has been installed along with an independent quick response hot water tank or boiler, that system would operate independent to the Geothermal System.

An independent hydronic fan coil would be a system complete with a air coil, pump and controls, hooked directly to the quick response hot water system to offer heat to a given zone. For example, if a homeowner wants to heat a garage to be used as a workshop sporadically, then the hydronic fan coil would placed or hung in the garage space to offer heating only when needed. Since under most building codes, the residential forced air system cannot be ducted into the garage space because of fumes, etc, a hydronic fan coil offers heat to such spaces without the need for extra ducting. A hydronic air handler (air coil system with forced air) would simply take water from the quick response hot water system and pass the hot water through the hydronic coil. The independent fan would force air through the coil causing the air to warm, offering a separate zone without the need for zone controls.

For more information on In-floor heating systems, please refer to the section on The Enertran™ Quad. In-floor systems generally operate on a zone by zone basis. For example it is common to split an in-floor system so that individual room thermostats call each zone. You could for example heat your garage floor with one zone while heating your upstairs bathroom with another. Thereby independently heating each zone while ensuring optimum comfort without sacrificing efficiency.

Open-Water or Open-Well...

An open well system borrows water from a dug or a drilled well, then directs the water through the GSHP system. Heat is then extracted from the water in winter or rejected in summer, then the cooled/heated water is returned to a pond, river, lake, weeping discharge pit or discharge well, in accordance with local environmental regulations. Depending on the location, the standard environmental "rule of thumb" is to return the water that is utilised to the same aquifer level, at another point on the same property, where the water was originally drawn. A Geothermal System does nothing to negatively affect the water quality that it uses; it absorbs or rejects heat only. The discharge system must be designed to accommodate any locally sensitive environmental issues.

If the source of water is a lake, river or pond, the body of water must be large enough to provide a sufficient "heat sink" capacity. Rivers can be used as a source of water, but sources with high levels of salt, chlorides or other minerals are not recommended for most units. Each region/province/state has regulations concerning the use of water and if a closed loop is used in the body of water, there are generally laws/guidelines concerning the position of GSHP loops in navigable waterways.

Water Quality...

Open water systems depend on a source of water that is adequate in temperature, flow rate and mineral content. A national Canadian performance standard (CSA C446), rate GSHP Systems, based on their heating efficiency when the entering water temperature is 10oC (0oC for closed loop units). The output drops, when the entering temperature of water is lower. Each GSHP model has a specified flow rate of water that is required, and its output drops if this rate is reduced. The flow rate required for cooling can be set much lower than for heating, since it is much easier to reject heat than to absorb heat. The CSA installation standard demands an official water well log to quantify a sustainable water yield. Water for open-loop systems must be free of many contaminates such as chlorides and metals, which can damage the heat exchanger of a GSHP unit. Specially designed heat exchangers can be installed at the manufacturing level, if there is a concern in regards to water quality. Contact your manufacturer or installing dealer, if have a concern.

Water Discharge...

There are environmental regulations, which govern how the water used in an open-loop system can be returned to the ground. A return well is acceptable, as long as the water is returned to the same aquifer or level of water table. A discharge pit is also acceptable, as long as local regulations and conditions are considered in the design.

Horizontal Closed Loops...

Horizontal loops are the most common configuration of closed loop systems in North America. A trench is dug on the property and High Density, Fusible, Polyethylene pipe is laid and appropriately spaced in the bottom of the trench, then buried in a continuous or parallel loop (depending on size of unit). The national Canadian installation standard (CSA C445) states that the loop must be located at least 600 mm (2 feet) below ground, but industry guidelines are at least twice that depth. The most common depth is to bury a loop at least 300mm (1 foot) below the frost level. It is possible to layer more than two pipes in each trench, thereby reducing the cost of digging. If a double layer of pipe is used in a single trench, then the trench must be deep enough to allow for thermal separation. It is important to backfill the trench properly, to avoid air pockets that can reduce the transfer of heat, and to ensure that the pipe is not damaged by large sharp rocks.

Pond, River or Lake Loops...

A closed pond, river or "lake loop" system is positioned on the floor of a body of water instead of being buried in the ground, as with a standard horizontal loop. The pipe must be weighted properly to remain on the bottom of the lake and to avoid shifting caused by spring ice movement. It is common to attach the loop pipe to a non-polluting plastic mesh, such as winter snow fencing, then floated out to the area of choice. This configuration will create a loop grid as one circuit. The circuits are then connected together to create one loop system, appropriately sized to the installed system. When the loop is filled, it will sink to the bottom of the lake, pond or riverbed. Weights are commonly attached to the top of loop grid to hold them in position. Over a short period of time the lakebed will cover the loop, creating a protective barrier and aquaculture. Care must be taken to avoid harming the pre-existing aquaculture. You should consider the positioning of the loop to avoid areas that boats commonly anchor. An anchor can cause a loop to be moved and or ruptured.

Vertical Closed Loops...

This is the most expensive type of closed loop but is a very efficient configuration, due to the fact that the under-earth level of heat increases and generally stabilises with depth. It is also more than likely that a drilled hole will pierce through an aquifer running water across the loop on a regular basis, which helps to increase efficiency. This option is viable when surface property is limited or has difficult terrain. Care must be taken to ensure that the vertical bore holes are drilled according to provincial/state/regional regulations.

Septic System and Your Loop...

A common question is, "Can I install my loop close to my septic system to take advantage of the heat that is going down my drain"? The answer is, it is not wise to place your loop close to your septic bed. Although a Geothermal System can easily take the heat away from the septic bed, a septic bed requires heat to help with microbial action to break down the sewage, which weeps from the system. If you take that heat away, the microbial action can stop and you may harm your septic bed. Local building codes will apply with this issue. There are methods to take advantage of grey water heat but this application should be discussed with your local building officials to ensure a proper system. A grey water re-capture system would require two separate sewage systems within your home, one for sewage and one for grey water.

Soil Type...

Loose dry soil traps air and is less effective for the heat transfer required in GHSP technology than moist packed soil. Each manufacturer provides specifications on the relative merits of soil type; low-conductive soil may require as much as 50% more loops than a quality high-conductive soil. The rule of thumb here is, "the wetter the better".

Type of Loop Pipe...

The pipe that is most commonly used for GHSP installations is a high density, polyethylene pipe. There would normally be two grades: "series 125" for residential installations, and "series 160" for commercial installations. The pipe is heat fused at the time of installation to eliminate any underground mechanical joints. When a pipe is properly heat fused, the point of fusing is stronger than the pipe. Most loop pipe manufacturers offer a 50-year warranty. GSHP pipe comes in three common diameters: 0.75", 1" and 1.25". Two coiled loops (commonly called the "Svec Spiral" and the "Slinky") require less trenching than conventional straight pipe. As a result, the lower trenching costs and the savings in property disruption offsets the higher cost of coiled pipe. The ground overall mass required with straight verses the slinky pipe should be approximately the same. Care must be used when back filling a slinky type loop to ensure that pipes are spaced properly. In some cases a slinky loop requires sand back filling around the loop pipe itself. Although straight and slinky pipes are commonly used, the installing dealer will generally install their preferred pipe size and type.

Loop Depth...

GSHP technology relies on stable underground (or underwater) temperature to function efficiently. In most cases, the deeper the loop is buried, the more efficient the system. Normally a loop pipe will be buried approximately 1 foot or 30 cm below the frost level. A vertical bore hole is the most efficient configuration, but this type of drilling can be very expensive.

Loop Length...

The longer the amount of piping used in a GSHP outdoor loop, the more heat that can be extracted from the ground (or water) for transfer to the house. Installing less loop than specified by the manufacturer will result in lower indoor temperature, and more strain on the system as it operates longer to compensate for the demand. However, excessive piping can also create a different set of problems, as well as additional cost. Each manufacturer provides specifications for the amount of pipe required. As a broad rule of thumb, a GSHP system requires 400 to 500 feet of horizontal loop, or 300 to 350 feet of vertical loop to provide heat for each ton of unit size.

Loop Spacing...

The greater the distance between buried loops, the higher the efficiency. Industry guidelines suggest that there should be 3 meters (10 feet) between sections of buried loop, in order to allow the pipe to collect heat from the surrounding earth without thermal interference from the neighbouring loop. This spacing can be reduced under certain conditions. It is common to bury one set of loops above another set with a deeper trench. This would be covered under application designs. A rule of thumb here would be, "more ground mass is always better than less".

Heat Transfer Fluids...

Closed-loop GSHP units can circulate any approved "anti-freeze" fluid inside the pipe, depending on the performance characteristics desired. Each manufacturer must specify which fluids are acceptable to any particular unit, with the most common being denatured ethanol or methanol (the latter is not approved for use in Ontario, Canada because of the high flash point).

Other Applications for GSHPs...

With modifications, GSHP units can be used for the dehumidification of indoor swimming pool areas, where the unit can dehumidify the air and provide condensation control with a minimum of ventilation air. The heat recovered from the condensed moisture is then used for heating domestic/pool water or for space heating. Although this is an application for GSHP systems, specific Enertran™ Dehumidification Systems are more commonly used to accomplish the goal of dehumidifying indoor poolrooms.

Efficient heating performance makes GSHP a good choice for the heating and cooling of commercial and institutional buildings. Some examples of commercial applications would include offices, stores, hospitals, hotels, apartment buildings, schools, restaurants and larger government buildings.

GSHP systems heat water or heat/cool the interior space by transferring heat from the ground outside, but they can also transfer heat within buildings with a heat producing central core. Since GSHP technology facilitates Energy Transfer, they can move heat from the core to the perimeter zones where it is required, thereby simultaneously cooling the core and heating the perimeter.

GHSP systems are also used as heat recovery devices to recover heat from building exhaust air or from the wastewater of an industrial process. The recovered heat is then supplied at a higher temperature at which it can be more readily used for heating air or water.