When ASHRAE’s original book on ground source heat pumps was published 17 years ago, such systems were used mainly in residential settings.
Today, the technology is much more widely used. ASHRAE says the lessons learned during that time are incorporated in its newly published book, “Geothermal Heating and Cooling: Design of Ground-Source Heat Pump Systems (GSHP).” The publication is a complete revision of “Ground-Source Heat Pumps: Design of Geothermal Systems for commercial and Institutional Buildings,” published in 1997.
The book provides benchmarks, design strategies and information for engineers to configure the most efficient and cost effective systems and avoid problems such as inefficient pumping, high cost ground loop designs, inadequate outside air provisions, unnecessarily complex control schemes and other common design errors.
The book’s authors say GSHP systems can be operated with far simpler controls than traditional HVAC systems and also can reduce equipment building space requirements, reduce duct work requirements and eliminate the need for external building mechanical equipment.
