Geo-thermal System

This facility incorporates geo-thermal heating and cooling as an energy source.  The shallow ground, the upper 10 feet of the Earth, maintains a nearly constant temperature between 50° and 60°F (10°-16°C). Like a cave, this ground temperature is warmer than the air above it in the winter and cooler than the air in the summer. Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of this resource to heat and cool buildings.

 

Geothermal heat pump systems consist of three parts: the ground heat exchanger, the heat pump unit (see heat pumps [tot the right of this storyboard]), and the air delivery system (ductwork). The heat exchanger is a system of pipes (see sample material below) called a loop, which is buried in the shallow ground near the building. Propylene glycol (or water, or a mixture of the two) circulates through the pipes to absorb or relinquish heat within the ground.

 

The system for this facility has 25 geothermal wells, dug under the parking lot and drive aisle in front of this facility.  These wells, or pipes, are each 452 feet deep and connect to 5 loops, or manifolds, which move the propylene glycol back through the foundation to this room.

 

The heat pump is similar to a condenser in your air-conditioner.  In the winter, the heat pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and pumps it into the indoor air delivery system. In the summer, the process is reversed, and the heat pump moves heat from the indoor air into the heat exchanger. The heat removed from the indoor air during the summer can also be used to heat water, providing a free source of hot water.

 

Geothermal heat pumps use much less energy than conventional heating systems, since they draw heat from the ground. They are also more efficient when cooling your home. Not only does this save energy and money, it reduces air pollution. This system in this facility will save 50% of the costs of operating a traditional heat pump system run by electricity.
Geothermal ground loop lineset terminations
Geothermal drilling station: creating wells 452 feet deep requires something a little be bigger than a your everyday drill
Drilling the wells
The ground loop is installed into the deep well, along with a 'trimmie tube' which is used to transfer cementitious grout to seal up the well
First well, drilled and filled
One of the guys performaing an old fashioned pressure test... or maybe just making sure the lines are clear
Each pair of lines is connected to 5 wells (25 in all) burried beneath the parking lot
Fifteen heatpumps being installed
Air handeler detail
Drill here
Ground loop lineset; one for each well
Geopro thermally enhanced grouting bentonite: with its high heat conductivity, it ensure efficient heat transfer between the earth and the ground loop as well as filling the the void space left from drilling
A shallow trench is excavated to bury the tubing that will be used to connect the deep wells to the compressor unit
5 wells are tied into a manifold that is buried in the parking lot and then run through ?the front door? to the mechanical room
Ground-loop coming up into the mechanical room
Air handlers being installed on the ceiling of the facility