BuildingGreen.com LIVE: Ground-Source Heat Pumps by Alex Wilson on 04/14/2009

A quick and informative intro to ground-source heat pumps from @atwilson @bglive

The ClimateMaster ground-source heat pump is recognized by the GreenSpec directory as a green product. Last week I introduced heat pumps and described how they can deliver more heat than is contained in the electricity they consume--while being able to provide cooling as well as heating. I mentioned two different types of heat pumps: air-source and ground-source. This week I'll cover ground-source (also known as "geothermal" and "geo-exchange") heat pumps. All heat pumps rely on a "heat source" during the winter months and a "heat sink" in the summer where unwanted heat can be dumped. While air-source heat pumps use the outside air as the heat source and heat sink, ground-source heat pumps use the ground, or sometimes a body of water, for these functions. The advantage of using a ground source for this heat exchange is that temperatures more than five feet underground are ...

Full article: http://www.buildinggreen.com/live/index.cfm/2009/4/14/Gro...