GHP : GeoThermal Heat Pump
Efficiently Cooling your Home or Business in the Summer
Maintaining indoor air comfortably Warm in the Winter.

The Bahamas is a prime location for the use of GeoThermal Heatpump Technologies. A GHP system will keep you comfortably cool in the summer, dramatically lower energy costs,  reduces the use and handling of ozone depleting refrigerants,  and if powered by renewable energy supplies, supports optimum utilization of natural resources of this beautiful island nation.  Geothermal HVAC systems have been used for more than 60 years. With the recent passage of the 2014 Electricity Amendment Act, renewable energy self generation (RESG) and GHP just might be the perfect couple to keep your eye on!   

So why the interest in GHP?
It's interesting to note that in an article published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) addressing "whole house" energy efficiency and the environmental performance of homes,  it was stated that "Air conditioners use about 5 percent of all the electricity produced in the United States, at a cost of over $11 billion to homeowners. As a result, roughly 100 million tons of carbon dioxide are released into the air each year, an average of about two tons for each home with an air conditioner." But even more interesting in comparison is that over 70% of the energy used in a typical U.S. home is used for space conditioning. That's huge!

So the question is, do you really want to turn a conventional Air Conditioning system on in the peak of summer and watch your meter spin faster than the blades on a food blender? [Repeat after me "Locked Rotor Amps"! (LRA). We'll touch on the electrical demands of conventional Air Conditioning system, single-stage, two-stage, variable speed and DC-Inverter technology in our next edition. ] Now back to the current thread, . . . Do you use ceiling fans as the first line of defense to the summer heat? Is your ceiling fan supplied by renewable energy, from the RESG system you just installed? Well my friend you're on easy street. If you can open the windows and take advantage of natural air circulation on a hot summer day and bask in the cool breeze from the Ocean,  that's the best option yet! But as an alternative, it may be time to at least consider proven "eco-friendly" methods to cool your home, office or retail spaces. Don't get me wrong. GeoThermal Heat Pump technology is not the "ONLY" solution. There are many great solutions in the marketplace to reduce your indoor Cooling and Heating expenses. However, if I were a betting man, I would put my bet on GeoThermal.

GeoThermal Heat Pump

So What is a GeoThermal Heat Pump (GHP)?

A geothermal or “ground-source” heat pump (GHP) for short,  is a system that uses the heat storage capacity of the earth as a "heat-sink", or the earth’s groundwater to cool or warm your home. The beauty of the system is based on the fact that, even though surface and air temperatures may be in the extremes,  the ground a few feet below the surface remains at a fairly stable temperature. We take advantage of this temperature difference (delta)  and utilize it to keep our homes comfortably cool in the summer and cozy warm in the winter.

How does  a GeoThermal Heat Pump Work? 

In it's simplest form, in the case of cooling, a GHP moves heat energy from inside your home or office and transfers that heat to the earth or groundwater. It's important to note, that additionally, with the use of a "heat exchanger" the heat removed from the indoor air during the summer can also be used to provide a free source of  domestic hot water (DHW) to replace or supplement your existing water heating system.

Share the Link:  GEOTHERMAL Heat Pump Basics Video

Just how efficient is a GeoThermal Heat Pump?
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called ground source heat pumps . . . "the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available!"

Doesn't it take lots of space and water for a GeoThermal Heat Pump System?

As shown in the video above, a loop can be buried vertically, using minimum ground area.  Or, if there's a water source, as we see with the shallow water table in the Bahamas, only a small area is required. Water isn't “used” or "depleted". It's returned to the water source after it's passed through the a heat exchanger and cooled your home or office space.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and one of the best GHP system illustrations I've seen comes from Summit Mechanical Systems in Montana. The image pictured lower right depicts the basic concept of heat exchange fundamentals of a vertical GeoThermal Heat Pump system. This is just one type of GHP that would  work exceptionally well in the Bahamas

Economics of Green Housing and more energy efficient choices
By 2016, a Wall Street Journal article predicted that green housing will grow from $36 billion a year to as much as $114 billion. That’s approaching 30 to 40 percent of the entire housing market. Imagine the impact a focused green housing program in the Bahamas would have. Employment, training and promotion of the amazing natural resources the Bahamas has to offer. Sand, Sea, Sun and so much more!
What about the cost of GHP?
GHP systems installation costs are typically higher than that of other cooling systems, but have lower maintenance costs and much greater energy savings.
Lowering Indoor Humidity is a huge concern!
GHPs excel in the area of humidity control. Most Energy Star (R)  rated GHP systems can improve humidity control by  easily achieving 50% relative indoor humidity. By circulating humid air over the indoor coils, the warmer moisture laden air condenses into water vapor and is removed through the condensation line to the outdoors.

April 18, 2015 - by Austin Livingston


NEXT UP!
Solar Electric / Solar Thermal Air Conditioning  &  Solar Thermal Water Heating