Shallow Geothermal Energy Systems: Investigating possible viable solutions in the building sector
Date Issued
December 2020
Author(s)
Advisor
Abstract
Shallow Geothermal Energy (SGE), a renewable resource, finds application through
the use of Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) coupled with Ground Heat
Exchangers (GHEs) for space heating and cooling of buildings. GSHPs are an
emerging technology and have received more attention in the recent years due to
their high efficiency in comparison to the conventional Air Source Heat Pumps
(ASHPs). Despite their evident advantage, the technology of GSHPs has not
reached a steady and popular state, owing to high initial costs of installation and
manufacturing. Depending on the building’s loads, and therefore on the climate of
the area, the GSHP system could be a smart investment for the building’s owner. To
address this, the main objective of this research is to study and suggest ways of
improving GSHP systems so that a system could stand out as an attractive
Renewable Energy System (RES).
Initially, an economic evaluation of two types of systems, ASHP systems and
GSHP systems, was conducted for a residential building in moderate climate
conditions. An example of possibly enhancing the performance of GHEs is studied
for a certain characteristic of the surrounding ground, namely through the possible
groundwater effect on the outlet temperature, and hence, the length of the GHEs.
The length of a GHE could also depend on the configuration/geometry type of the
GHE. To that extent, the implementation of the building’s foundation was
subsequently considered to act as GHE. The use of a residential building’s
foundations, namely the foundation piles or the foundation bed, were considered for
investigation within the framework of the newly developed nearly Zero Energy
Buildings (nZEB) concept. Such hybrid elements (energy piles and foundation bed)
demonstrate promising results with low payback periods and a low environmental
impact. Such systems could potentially attract more homeowners to invest in
geothermal energy and to see this technology flourish in the near future.
the use of Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) coupled with Ground Heat
Exchangers (GHEs) for space heating and cooling of buildings. GSHPs are an
emerging technology and have received more attention in the recent years due to
their high efficiency in comparison to the conventional Air Source Heat Pumps
(ASHPs). Despite their evident advantage, the technology of GSHPs has not
reached a steady and popular state, owing to high initial costs of installation and
manufacturing. Depending on the building’s loads, and therefore on the climate of
the area, the GSHP system could be a smart investment for the building’s owner. To
address this, the main objective of this research is to study and suggest ways of
improving GSHP systems so that a system could stand out as an attractive
Renewable Energy System (RES).
Initially, an economic evaluation of two types of systems, ASHP systems and
GSHP systems, was conducted for a residential building in moderate climate
conditions. An example of possibly enhancing the performance of GHEs is studied
for a certain characteristic of the surrounding ground, namely through the possible
groundwater effect on the outlet temperature, and hence, the length of the GHEs.
The length of a GHE could also depend on the configuration/geometry type of the
GHE. To that extent, the implementation of the building’s foundation was
subsequently considered to act as GHE. The use of a residential building’s
foundations, namely the foundation piles or the foundation bed, were considered for
investigation within the framework of the newly developed nearly Zero Energy
Buildings (nZEB) concept. Such hybrid elements (energy piles and foundation bed)
demonstrate promising results with low payback periods and a low environmental
impact. Such systems could potentially attract more homeowners to invest in
geothermal energy and to see this technology flourish in the near future.
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