NGWA's Hydrogeologic Guidelines for Large-Scale Geothermal Heat Pump Installations

NGWA has a strong interest in the growing utilization of geothermal heat pump systems, wanting these systems to work well, while protecting the groundwater resource from contamination. Association volunteers developed simple, yet responsible guidelines for conducting an appropriate hydrogeologic investigation of a site being considered for a large-scale (commercial) geothermal heat pump installation. NGWA considers guidelines to be the "how to" or methods on a broad topic--more detailed than a best suggested practice, in terms of needed skills and competencies. The guidelines' purpose is to provide guidance on how to determine the hydrogeologic properties of a proposed site and how the HVAC system designer can utilize that hydrogeologic information in the design, and how the design can then be more useful in developing the specifications of the project, ultimately resulting in optimal system performance and groundwater protection. This is of special interest to the Geothermal Energy Interest Group.