Evaluating Geothermal Heat Pumps - Carbon & The Grid

Join us as we discuss a US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory modeling analysis to examine the potential impact of mass geothermal heat pump (GHP) deployment on the country's electric power system and carbon emissions. The simulation results indicated that widespread implementation of GHPs in commercial and residential buildings, in conjunction with building envelope improvements, could alleviate stress on the power grid, reduce energy costs, and substantially cut carbon dioxide emissions. The study's primary researcher, Xiaobing Liu, emphasized that GHPs significantly impact electric power systems by reducing capacity, generation, transmission requirements, and carbon emissions.
The research showed that deploying GHPs in both commercial and residential buildings, combined with building envelope improvements, could reduce over 7,000 million metric tons of carbon emissions through 2050. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the potential for substantial peak electric demand reduction and electricity savings, particularly in cold and warm climate zones, highlighting the wide-ranging benefits of mass GHP deployment. The study's development of a web-based tool for estimating the cost and benefits of GHP applications in residential and commercial buildings aims to provide accessible information to homeowners, builders, and installers.
Join us to learn more.
Continuing Education Units (CEUS) submitted 1 hour in*
• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)
• Building Performance Institute (BPI) NonWholeHouse
• PHIUS Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC)
• Submitted for American Institute of Architects - AIA (HSW)
• Certified Green Professional (NARI & CGP)
• Certified GreenHome Professional (CGHP) Pillar(s): Energy, Health, Materials, Water, Place
• American Institute of Building Designers (AIBD)
• State Architect / Builder License may be applicable
• Building Science Institute (BSI) Verifier
• Society of American Registered Architects (SARA)
Lessons Learned
1. Understand: It is crucial to understand the significant impact of mass geothermal heat pump (GHP) deployment on reducing energy costs, decarbonization and carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to overall health and environmental well-being.
2. Analyze: It's important to analyze the potential peak electric demand reduction and electricity savings that can be achieved through widespread implementation of GHPs in commercial and residential buildings, ensuring safety, resiliency and reliability in the power grid.
3. Introduce: Introducing a web-based tool for estimating the decarbonization ability, cost and benefits of GHP applications in residential and commercial buildings is essential to provide accessible information to homeowners, builders, and installers, contributing to their welfare and decision-making.
4. Articulate: Researchers and policymakers need to articulate the wide-ranging benefits of mass GHP deployment in reducing capacity, generation, transmission requirements, and carbon emissions, emphasizing the positive impact on overall welfare and environmental sustainability.
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Speaker
Dr. Xiaobing Liu is a senior staff scientist and group leader at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He has been the Principal Investigator of many ground source heat pump (GSHP) related R&D projects at ORNL, including software tools to facilitate simulation-based design for GSHP systems, new ground heat exchanger designs, and in-depth case studies of GSHP systems. Dr. Liu served as the research chair at the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) TC 6.8 for Geothermal Energy Utilization and Energy Recovery. He is currently serving as the research chair at the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA). He received the Ritter Von Rittinger Award (group) from the International Energy Agency (IEA) Heat Pump Center in 2017, the Distinguished Service Award from ASHRAE in 2020, the R&D 100 Award (group) in 2022, and Best Paper/Presentation awards from various conferences.

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Thank you very much for this awesome course. 🌺🌼🍀🌸