GSHP and alternatives
Last Post 29 Dec 2022 01:30 AM by sesmith. 6 Replies.
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elicUser is Offline
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06 Jul 2022 01:36 PM
We are in the very early conceptual phase of designing a new house. We are aiming for a very tight and efficient house, so I'm not even sure if a GSHP makes sense. However, we really want to minimize any sound from mechanics and even though ASHP probably make more sense, we would prefer to avoid the outside unit for find alternatives.

Are there any TRUE VARIABLE (not just multi-stage) GSHPs?

Is reliability/longevity improving for GSHP?

Looking at SunDrum (unaware of alternatives) in combination with solar. I'm betting this could meet our heating needs, but we still need a cooling solution. Looking at home with significant thermal mass, so it may be possible to use the sundrum for heat dissipation at night
newbostonconstUser is Offline
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06 Jul 2022 02:06 PM
I did geo mostly for not having an ugly unit outside and in the way. We did heated floors and still needed AC so that was the other reason. I don't think they sell enough US GSHP's to make them bullet proof....I have had 2 of the 5 units I have had in the last 20 years go bad. May be the operator?
"Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." George Carlins
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08 Jul 2022 02:01 PM
I think GSHPs are really for the gullible and they don't often have a positive ROI for residential buildings under 10,000 SF in the lower 48 States.
Borst Engineering & Construction LLC - Competence, Integrity and Professionalism are integral to all that we do!
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08 Jul 2022 02:46 PM
I agree....
"Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." George Carlins
elicUser is Offline
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08 Jul 2022 06:03 PM
@sailawayrb, any alternatives that minimize noise from mechanicals?



Really want to look more into SunDrum combined with a heat pump. Not sure if the heat pump they use is any different then a GSHP, just no loops. Looks like the capture and store excess heat from solar panels in a water tank. At night, they transfer heat to the panels and let it radiate to the night sky. Not sure how much cooling they can achieve with this and how much a factor ambient temperature is.



Does anyone know if there any TRUE VARIABLE (not just multi-stage) GSHPs?
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09 Jul 2022 03:41 AM
I think a mini split is better alternative to GSHPs for vast majority of folks. I am not aware of anything but muli-stage.

If you live someplace with a low humidity and diurnal climate such that daily highs are triple digits but your lows are in 50s, you can use combination of passive solar cooling design, interior thermal mass and a whole house fan to avoid needing AC completely.

Hydronic radiant floor heating is as quiet as it gets. If you use an air to water source heat pump system, you can operate it to chill the water and provide cooling effect. Or you could use an actual chiller to provide cooling effect. Or if you have a cold water source, you can use that to provide cooling effect. You do have to be mindful of dew point and avoid generating condensation on floor. More complexity and expense to be considered too.
Borst Engineering & Construction LLC - Competence, Integrity and Professionalism are integral to all that we do!
sesmithUser is Offline
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29 Dec 2022 01:30 AM
Only 1 actual data point for you, but we installed a ground source heat pump system in our old house in 2011. 1400 sq ft older 1840's farm house in central NY. Insulated about as well as we could without going to extremes. System paid for its cost in fuel savings over the existing oil system in less than 7 years (considering the tax rebates at the times). We sold the house in 2019 for more than we would have gotten for it BECAUSE it had a geo system in it. The new owners were particularly interested in it because of the heat pump. System was designed by an engineer / installer and was perfectly sized for the house and worked even better than his estimates. So, a geo system designed right can be a particularly effective and cost effective way to heat a place. Given the same set of circumstances, I'd do another one in a heartbeat.

That said, with the advances in cold climate air source heat pumps these days, especially in new construction, one would have to run the numbers, and I think you might find an air source unit might be a better choice, cost wise, depending on where the house is. Our current house is in SC. I replaced the existing air soource heat pump with another more efficient air source heat pump there a couple of years ago. For that climate it made no sense going with a geo system.
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