The
Geothermal concept has been commercially available since around
the 1940s. Greater manufacturing and training improvements have
made the installation of geothermal systems realistic to everyone.
We have spent many years researching and developing geothermal
for our market. We are accredited designers, installers, and dealers
for two of the world’s leading geothermal manufacturers.
With system efficiencies approaching 400%, geothermal systems
can supplement or replace your heating and hot water systems to
save you 60 to 75% of your annual fuel consumption. We are finding
that these systems pay for themselves in five to six years, and
loan programs are available through Dukes County Savings Bank.
There are two main types of geothermal systems, Direct Exchange
and water source. Direct Exchange uses copper refrigerant lines
in the ground and water source uses a plastic line in the ground
that is filled with a liquid. Both are reliable, can be installed
many ways, and are Energy Star rated systems.
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We are dealers for
ECR, the world leader in direct exchange geothermal systems. These
systems use copper refrigerant lines to couple to the earth and
extract or dispose of heat (depending on heating or cooling mode).
Many of our customers are curious about the durability of the copper
underground. The Copper Council of America has deemed that these
lines should last virtually indefinitely in non-aggressive soil.
For problem areas, anode protection (similar to a zinc bar on a
boat hull) systems ensure that the copper experiences no corrosion.
The refrigerant in the lines in non toxic and will not hurt the
aquifer or the ozone. Our heat pumps have automatic systems that
notify the home- owner if there is any kind of breach in the ground
coupling system.
With Direct Exchange, there are three ways that we can couple to
the earth - horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. In all installations,
the copper lines are installed into manifolds that must be six feet
below finish grade. These manifolds are then connected to two main
refrigerant lines that extend into the building and are connected
to an ECR heat pump. This heat pump is then connected to a new or
existing heating, cooling, or hot water system.
Picture –
ECR Loops |
| In a direct
exchange horizontal installation, we install our refrigerant lines
at six feet below finish grade. You will need approximately one
square foot of usable yard per one square foot of conditioned space.
The copper lines must be installed level within twelve inches across
the entire yard and must be placed in clean sand. These lines are
then connected to manifolds and these manifolds are brought into
the building via two main refrigerant lines. These lines are then
connected to a heat pump, and the heat pump to your heating, cooling,
or hot water system. |
In a direct
exchange vertical installation, our drilling crew will bore a four
inch diameter hole one hundred foot deep. We shall then install
a refrigerant line in this hole and grout the hole with a MA approved
bentonite grout. The copper refrigerant line installed in this single
hole will produce one ton or 12,000 BTUs of heating/cooling capacity.
Additional holes are installed for every additional ton of heating/cooling
required. These lines are then installed together into a manifold
six feet below finish grade. The diameter of this manifold pit is
anywhere from the ten to twelve feet. These manifolds are brought
into the building via two main refrigerant lines. These lines are
connected to a heat pump, and the heat pump is connected to your
heating, cooling, or hot water system. |
| DX DIAGONAL:
In a direct exchange diagonal installation, we perform the same
installation as the vertical type, but the surface pit is smaller
(about six feet). Each of the boreholes is typically drilled at
a 15 degree angle from the vertical. The lines extend to the same
hundred foot depth and are approximately 55 feet apart at this depth.
This installation is great for tight spaces or a retrofit where
the excavation of the pit is less intrusive. |
WATER SOURCE: We are
dealers for Water Furnace, one of the world’s largest water
source heat pump manufacturers. Water source heat pumps use a black
plastic high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe filled with a liquid
such as water or propylene glycol to couple to the ground and extract
or reject heat (depending on heating or cooling mode). There are
many different ways to couple to the earth with water source systems,
such as open loop, closed loop, and Ocean and lake plate type heat
exchanger systems.
Water
Furnace
|
| Water
source open loop systems remove or extract heat from the earth by
drawing water out of the local aquifer, running this water through
a heat pump, and delivering it back to the aquifer. The heat pump
is then connected to your heating, cooling, or hot water system.
This is done with a draw and injection well, or a standing column
well. |
This type of system
has two cased wells that are strategically placed to draw aquifer
water into the heat pump and then re-inject that same water back
into the aquifer. |
| This type
of installation uses a single well. The water is drawn from the
bottom, sent through the heat pump, and returned to the top of the
well casing. These types of systems need to be very deep so that
the returned water has time to replenish the heat that has been
gained or lost. |
These
types of systems are more common than the open loop systems. Closed
loop systems use HDPE lines to couple to the earth and remove or
add heat. These lines can be installed vertically or horizontally.
These lines are connected to a manifold and then connected to the
heat pump. The heat pump is then connected to your heating, cooling,
or hot water system. |
CLOSED LOOP HORIZONTAL:
There are many arrangements for the installation of closed loop
horizontal installations. However, they all consist of HDPE pipe
and they are all installed below six feet. They can be installed
in trenches or fields. The most common type of installation is the
“Slinky” patter. Coils of HDPE pipe are arranged in
a “Slinky” pattern and are buried six feet down. This
creates the ground couple heat exchanger that is then connected
to the heat pump. We can assume approximately 2 -4 square feet of
yard to one square foot of conditioned space.
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CLOSED LOOP VERTICAL:
This installation uses large diameter bore holes (about 6 –
10 inches) cored into the earth. We can assume approximately 250
to 400 feet per ton (12,000 BTUs). An HDPE loop is installed into
each hole, and then the hole is filled with a bentonite grout as
required by the MA Ground Water Association and the DEP. These lines
are then connected together into a manifold and the manifold is
then connected to the heat pump. The heat pump is then connected
to your heating, cooling, or domestic hot water systems |
| OCEAN / LAKE PLATE
TYPE HEAT EXCHANGER SYSTEMS: Plate type heat exchangers can be installed
in fresh water ponds, brackish water ways, or in the ocean. Plate
type heat exchangers eliminate the ground coupling installations
described with horizontal and bore hole type systems. This is a
very cost effective way to install a geothermal plant. Instead of
hundreds of feet of refrigerant or HDPE lines connected to the earth,
plate type systems use the solar energy stored in a waterway. The
plate is installed in the water with two lines connected the plate
with the heat pump. This system is filled with a food grade propylene
glycol that is completely non toxic.
Slim
Jim
|
LAKE-FRONT STAINLESS
STEEL PLATE EXCHANGERS: Stainless steel plate type heat exchangers
are used for strictly fresh water installations. A plate or multiple
plates are suspended from a dock or mounted on skids. The key to
fresh water installations is making sure that the pond is large
enough to be replenished by the sun faster than the heat is extracted. |
| OCEAN-FRONT
TITANIUM PLATE EXCHANGERS: Titanium plate type heat exchangers are
used in brackish water or the ocean. Just like stainless steel plates,
they are suspended from a dock or mounted on skids. The great thing
about ocean plate heat exchangers is that the ocean is a giant solar
battery. Unlike fresh water installations, we do not have to worry
about removing more heat that we can use. |
| See our Hydronic
Heating page 1: Hot Water Boilers and Radiant Floor Heating |
