DIGGING UP A SOLUTION: GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMPS

Geothermal heat pumps are to geothermal energy what solar panels are to solar power plants.

Heat pumps tap the oldest insulation there is, the insulating power of the earth.

The earliest humans did not simply go to caves for shelter, they went to DEEP caves. Why? Because below the earth it is cooler in the heat of summer and warmer in the cold of winter.

Geothermal heat pumps circulate a mass of water into the earth and bring it back up at a changed temperature, cooler in the heat of summer and warmer in the cold of winter. The pumps then circulate that water through a building, changing the ambient temperature in the direction of the water’s temperature. As a result, the building’s cooling system has less of a job to do in the summer and its heating system has less work to do in the winter.

How much less work? It can cut the energy used to heat or cool a building in half. Or more.

Numbers don’t lie. John Shonder, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE): “[G]round-source heat pumps have the lowest life-cycle costs in several cost studies that I’ve done [of heating and air-conditioning systems.]” That’s without any incentives or subsidies.

The systems pay from themselves in 3 to 8 years.

John W. Lund, director, Geo-Heat Center/Oregon Institute of Technology: “For commercial buildings, where you have a fairly large heating and cooling load, the payback period could be two to three years.”

The industry is – sorry – HOT! So hot trained workers are hard to find. Orders everywhere are backlogged.

Bridgette Oliver, marketing and communications manager, ClimateMaster (Oklahoma City, the largest U.S. manufacturer) “Finding reliable and compliant employees to train [is a bottleneck to growth]… drillers are overwhelmed. Drillers are where we’re really hurting.”

One company is recruiting from Craigslist. Gerard Maloney, EarthHeat: “We’re bringing in folks who aren’t necessarily career HVAC guys…We’re having to train them ourselves…Even folks who have no skills are interested in learning, because it’s such a growth industry…”

Geothermal heat pumps: Yet another reason to tell the Senate to pass the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008, the pending legislation put through the House last May by New York Congressman Charles Rangel. (See Support Renewable Energy Tax Credits) The bill would extend through 2014 the $4,000 tax credit to home installers of geothermal heat pumps (as well as extending vital tax credits for the wind and solar industries).

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With Energy in Focus, Heat Pumps Win Fans
Liz Galst, August 13, 2008 (NY Times)

WHO
Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), chairman, House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee; Gerard Maloney, EarthHeat; Bruce Wollaber, president, heat pump system, Comfort Engineered Systems; Bill Beattie, co-owner, Rockford Geothermal; Jim Bose, executive director, International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA); Jack DiEnna, executive director, Geothermal National and International Initiative (GNII); John W. Lund, director, Geo-Heat Center/Oregon Institute of Technology; Bridgette Oliver, marketing and communications manager, ClimateMaster; WaterFurnace

WHAT
Geothermal heat pumps

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WHEN
- 2003: 36,439 units shipped.
- 2006: 63,683 units shipped.
- 2008: The heat pump industry has grown $2.5 billion over last year’s performance.
- 2030: The heat pump industry is aiming to have 30% of the heating and cooling system market.

WHERE
- The circulating water goes below the earth’s surface to varying depths from 6 feet horizontal system) to 300 feet (vertical system), depending on soil, environment, building needs, etc.
- Systems can be used in any climate and are in use in places as varied as Texas and the Arctic Circle.
- Comfort Engineered Systems in Nolensville, Tenn.
- Rockford Geothermal in Rockford, Ill.
- The biggest U.S. heat pump manufacturer is ClimateMaster, based in Oklahoma City, OK. WaterFurnace, the 2nd largest manufacturer, is based in Fort Wayne, IN.

WHY
- Heat pumps cut energy used for heating and cooling by 25% to 65%.
- The biggest savings come in commercial buildings. Small businesses looking to cut energy costs are the fastest growing users of heat pumps.
- ClimateMaster: Revenue increase of 200% from 2005 to 2007. Increased employees 176%.
- WaterFurnace: double-digit growth, running two shifts at their manufacturing plant.
- Abundant orders and a lack of staff is putting manufacturers 6 to 8 weeks behind on deliveries.
- Worker and contractor training programs are being developed at Hudson Valley Community College in New York, funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

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QUOTES
- Bruce Wollaber, president, heat pump system designer/installer Comfort Engineered Systems: “We started as many jobs by April of 2008 as we had done in all of 2007…”
- Bill Beattie, co-owner, Rockford Geothermal: “If we stay on track, we’re probably going to grow by about 40 percent this year.”
- Jim Bose, executive director, International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, on the 30% by 2030 goal: “[I]t’s not a pipe dream. It can be done.”
- Jack DiEnna, executive director, Geothermal National and International Initiative: “Right now, we don’t have enough installers, and we don’t have enough drillers…I’ve got drillers who are booked out for six months.”