2012 NGWA Ground Water Summit: Innovate and Integrate

Sustainable Utilities Using Geoexchange Technology

Tuesday, May 8, 2012: 1:50 p.m.
Terrace Room D-F (Hyatt Regency Orange County)
Lisa Meline, Meline Engineering;

The ground heat exchanger for a geothermal heat pump system is the unique component to a more traditional heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) project.  The ground heat exchanger becomes a heat source or heat sink for whatever loads are connected to it for building heating and cooling, domestic hot water heating, pool heating and processes such as warming and cooling of wine, fish tanks and soil in greenhouses.  If the idea of ‘geoexchange’ is extended to multiple buildings, the ground heat exchanger now begins to look more like a utility.  This presentation will present basic concepts for planning for a community loop installation and different types of ground heat exchangers which may be utilized, depending upon the characteristics of a development site.