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Forums > Green Building Technologies > Geothermal Heat Pumps > Subject: GHP, the cost, and offsets

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slfriedmUser is Offline
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Posts:9
04/24/2008 6:37 PM  

Hi all, I am new to this forum and relatively new to geothermal.  I apologize if this topic has already been discussed on this forum but I searched the forum and could not find anything.

 

Like many people the cost of installation is what scares me away from geothermal.  I have been reading a lot about GHPs but have seen nothing about carbon credits.  Has anyone had their GHP certified as carbon credits and then sold these carbon credits?  This could help to offset the initial price tag of installation (though not by much). 

 

I know that when geothermal is used to generate electricity carbon offsets are sold.  Why not do the same for GHPs?  If quantity is an issue, why not form a group of homeowners who certify their GHPs and then split the profits.

 

Again, sorry if this topic has already been discussed. 

 

Thanks in advance.

 
cnygeoUser is Offline
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Posts:68
04/24/2008 9:11 PM  
Interesting idea. I don't know much about carbon trading, but I should look into it. One thing to keep in mind - in terms of CO2 emissions heat pumps aren't necessarily all that beneficial. It depends on where your electricity comes from. Let's say your heat pump has an annual COP of 3.5 - you get 3.5 units of heat for evey unit of electricity. This is like having an electric heater with an efficiency of 350% (though as an engineer I don't like to put it in those terms). Now if your electricity comes primarily from fossil fuels, it takes about 3 units of oil, gas , or coal to produce one unit of electricity by the time it gets to your house. So, the overall efficency is only 3.5/3, or about 115%. If you compare that to a high efficiency gas boiler running at 95% or so efficiency, you aren't that far ahead. If your electricity comes predominantly from coal, it is even possible that a geothermal heat pump will generate more CO2 than a high efficiency boiler or furnace. For a geo system to be really "green" you need to buy "green" electricity (hydro, wind, solar, nuclear, etc).

This calculation varies a lot by region and system efficiency. If you have relatively clean sources of power generation and a very efficient heat pump, the CO2 savings can be substantial. I'm just trying to point out that the environmental benefits of a geothermal heat pump are not that clear-cut. There is a lot of misleading advertising hype in that regard. Yes, in most cases a GSHP will be the best system in terms of emissions (short of solar) but not always.
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Forums > Green Building Technologies > Geothermal Heat Pumps > GHP, the cost, and offsets


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