European Ground Source Heat Pump Association (EGSHPA) | The Authority on Renewable Energy

Geothermal heat pumps can be installed in some urban and suburban areas if they utilize dedicated water systems not interconnected with the domestic water or sanitary systems. Several houses, all the apartments in a building or an entire community could be looped into a network of ground water distribution and return, if conditions were right. [...]

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Water-to-air geothermal heat pumps, as the term suggests, can be adapted to water supplies other than wells, such as a freshwater lake or a stream. Another alternative to a well system would be a closed-loop, earth-coupled system. The closed-loop geothermal heat pump system requires only that the heat exchanger be buried in solid contact with the earth. [...]

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Most problems regarding geothermal heat pump dewatering have stemmed from improper determination of well yield. Domestic wells are normally designed to produce enough water for household use only, which is usually 300 to 400 gallons per day. Ground water heating may require 10,000 gallons of water or more per day in extremely cold weather. An adequate water [...]

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A geothermal heat pump does not consume any water in the heat exchange process. If eight gallons of water go in the geothermal heat pump, eight gallons of water will come out. Thus, you will need a method to discharge this water. Typical methods of discharge include returning the water to the aquifer from which it was [...]

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Water use restrictions are more stringent in western states. These states adhere to the prior-appropriation system of water law. When disputes over water use arise, priority is given to parties having senior water rights. Many western states have also specified preferred uses that are given priority over other senior water rights. Eastern states generally follow [...]

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In order for a geothermal heat pump system to operate at its specified heating and cooling capacity and efficiency, the proper ground water flow rate through the water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger must be maintained. The ground water aquifer, source well, and pumping system must be able to supply the required flow rate. The water flow requirement of a geothermal [...]

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The temperature of shallow ground water in the U.S. ranges from 44°F in the north central areas to approximately 80°F in Florida and southern Texas. In North America, geothermal heat pumps can operate efficiently at ground water temperatures as low as 39°F, or even lower, with equipment currently being constructed. Higher temperature ground water will, of course, [...]

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Ground water is attractive as a heat exchange medium in residential and commercial space conditioning. By using a geothermal heat pump, ground water can serve as a heat source (for heating) and a heat sink (for cooling). The temperature of the ground water is nearly the same year-round, regardless of the temperature extremes on the [...]

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A geothermal heat pump system simply transfers thermal energy (heat) from the ground or ground water into the space being conditioned during the winter months and transfers excess heat from the structure back into the ground or ground water in the summer months. Because the temperature of the ground or ground water remains fairly constant [...]

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