Non-residential groundwater-heat-pump retrofit demonstration. Final report

Technical Report · Mon Aug 31 04:00:00 EDT 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6867678· OSTI ID:6867678

Hildebrandt, A. F.; Bentley, J.; Ibrahim, A.

Although groundwater heat pumps save energy over conventional air-to-air heat pumps, questions have risen as to whether this saving is sufficient to pay for the site specific cost of drilling a well. The goal of this project is to address the question through direct experimental comparison of the performances of heat pumps of each type, by alternately comfort-conditioning the same building space. Data gathered in this manner lead to energy and economic analyses of the differences. Precise measurements were made on a system at the Energy Laboratory which was retrofitted with a groundwater 3-ton heat pump-air conditioner and a 5-ton air-to-heat pump-air conditioner that has been modified to operate also in a water-to-air mode. Measurements spanning a period of months show that the air conditioning COP of the 3-ton water-to-air unit was 3.7. Measurements in the heating mode still need to be completed. These types of units provide for excellent retrofit operations where adequate well water or surface water is available, as in lake areas. The well water is not actually consumed but reinjected into the ground in a second well. This technology is available in off-the-shelf items. The heat pump-air conditioning units are commercially available in a variety of sizes. Excellent well water drillers and suppliers are also available in every locale in Texas.

• Research Organization: Houston Univ., TX (USA). Energy Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6867678
• Report Number(s): TENRAC/EDF-075; ON: DE83900870
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EFFICIENCY
GROUND WATER
HEAT PUMPS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAKES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REINJECTION
SURFACE WATERS
WATER
WATER SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
WATER WELLS
WELLS