GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS MODELING: TECHNICAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS FOR NATIONWIDE DEPLOYMENT IN COOLING-DOMINATED APPLICATIONS AND FOR SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN
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Multidisciplinary frameworks and tools are developed to assess the performance of geothermal heat pump (GHP) systems for heating and cooling applications in residential and commercial buildings. The technical, economic, and environmental performance (TEEP) of GHPs and traditional heating and cooling systems are explored for two applications: 1) cooling-dominated applications in cellular tower shelters nationwide; and 2) community-scale shallow geothermal (GHP) district energy (GSDE) systems for space heating and cooling. Tens of thousands of cellular towers are in operation across the U.S. often accompanied by small shelters that house electrical equipment continuously generating around 8 kWth of heat. The annual electricity consumption and corresponding carbon footprint for cooling shelters nationwide with conventional air-source heat pumps (ASHP) is significant. A systems engineering model (SEM) was developed to assess the TEEP of five cooling configurations for shelters located across various states with different climates and geologies. The five cooling configurations include: 1) GHP-only; 2) GHP + air-side economizer (AE); 3) GHP + dry-cooler (DC); 4) ASHP-only; and 5) ASHP + AE. With no consideration of incentives or rebates, base case results show that the total cost of ownership (TCO) for all cooling configurations is the lowest for states located in cooler climates (e.g., Maine, Minnesota, and Colorado), and the highest for states located in warmer climates (e.g., California, Florida). The configuration with the lowest TCO is ASHP + AE followed by GHP + AE. The configuration with the highest TCO is GHP-only, followed by GHP + DC and ASHP-only. Furthermore, the configuration with the lowest lifetime electricity consumption and CO2e emissions is GHP + AE, and the highest is ASHP-only. With the use of energy-efficient GHP systems, regions with high electricity prices and consumption will experience lower costs and environmental impacts from a reduction in the operating conditions over the lifetime of the system (20 years). Rust Belt cities in the U.S. have experienced years of severe economic and population decline, but possess many legacies and assets that present opportunities for sustainable revitalization and economic growth. Several frameworks and tools are proposed to assess the sustainable development potential of Utica, NY. Specifically, an integrative tool “GeoDistrict” is developed to assess the technical and economic performance of community-scale GSDE systems for space heating and cooling applications in downtown Utica. In Utica, GSDE networks are economically feasible for systems designed to cover a portion of the annual peak heating load of the area, with the remainder load covered by a supplemental natural gas peak boiler. The capital costs and payback period for GSDE systems covering between 50 – 70% of the annual peak load of the area (2.7 – 6.0 MMBtu/hr) may range from $1.0 million dollars – $3.4 million dollars and 12 – 19 years, respectively. For system covering 100% of the annual peak load, the capital costs and payback period may be up to $4.5 million dollars and over 21 years, respectively. Geothermal systems designed to cover a portion of the area’s peak load may be economically viable and still provide for heating during a significant portion of the year.
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2018-05-30
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Alternative Cooling Systems; Geothermal District Energy; Geothermal Heat Pumps; Sustainable Neighborhood Design; Technical; Economic; and Environmental Modeling; Geological engineering; Alternative energy; Systems science
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Tester, Jefferson William
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Jordan, Teresa Eileen
George, Albert Richard
George, Albert Richard
Degree Discipline
Geological Sciences
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Ph. D., Geological Sciences
Degree Level
Doctor of Philosophy
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dissertation or thesis