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1. Please feel free to add any comments or suggestions If I purchase a system it will be for Residence Business Other please specify Please print Name Address City Province Postal Code Telephone E mail After you have filled out this survey please send it to Renewable and Electrical Energy Division Natural Resources Canada 580 Booth Street 17th Floor Ottawa ON K1A OE4 Fax 613 995 0087 Thank you 41 Canada
2. 100 7 100 0 93 EESs intended for open loop systems have heating COP ratings ranging from 3 0 to 4 0 For closed loop heating applications the COP rating is between 2 5 and 4 0 See the description under Heat Pump Selection on page 16 for additional information on the COP The worksheets on the following pages will help you estimate the cost of energy to heat your home and to heat water for domestic consumption The worksheet allows you to calculate energy costs by taking into account e the size of your home e the number of people in your home using hot water e the fuels available in your area e their costs and e the efficiency of the heating equipment you are considering The first worksheet is for a 165 m home It compares the cost of energy if you use electricity at a cost of 0 06 kKWh e natural gas at a cost of 0 42 m3 e propane at a cost of 0 53 litre e an EES that uses electricity at a cost of 0 06 kWh e a conventional electric furnace e a mid efficiency natural gas furnace a high efficiency propane furnace and e an EES with a COP of 3 2 which is the minimum COP allowed in Canada for an open loop system 11 Worksheet Example Worksheet to Estimate Annual Cost of Heating your Home Using Different Fuels Example Estimated Heating Energy Usage in kWh Enter the heated area of your home in square metres in Column A in Row 1 2 or 3 whichever best
3. A Buyer s Guide The digital mosaic of Canada which appears on the cover of this publication is produced by Natural Resources Canada Canada Centre for Remote Sensing and is a composite of individual satellite images The differences in the density of vegetation are illustrated through shading To obtain additional copies of this or other free publications on energy efficiency please contact Electricity Resources Branch Renewable and Electrical Energy Division Natural Resources Canada 580 Booth Street 11 Floor Ottawa ON K1A OE4 Toll free 1 877 722 6600 E mail redi penser nrcan gc ca Internet www nrcan gc ca redi Residential Earth Energy Systems A Buyer s Guide Important Note The aim of this publication is to help readers with the decision to purchase and install an Earth Energy System EES The subject is complex and the decision depends on many variables As a result this guide cannot provide enough information to evaluate a potential system fully nor is it a how to manual for the installation operation and maintenance of a system Prospective buyers should thus seek out qualified advice and assistance to supplement the information provided here They should also contact local utility and government agencies to ensure that their new system will meet all relevant electrical codes as well as building and site regulations Natural Resources Canada assumes no liability for injury property damage or
4. This can vary significantly from one location to another as described under Earth Energy System Variations on page 4 The following chart shows the variation in cost of different types of earth loops in different situations Pond Loop Open Loop NOTE The costs shown are average ground loop costs for the size of EES indicated and can vary significantly depending on the particular conditions at a specific site 21 The Payback One of the questions people often ask is If I buy an EES what s the payback There are many factors that can influence the payback We can illustrate it by looking at the following example Jim and Donna are planning a 160 m house on a large suburban lot They want to heat their home as inexpensively as possible Natural gas is not yet available but there has been talk of extending the gas lines past their property in the next year or two They are considering an electric furnace a propane furnace that can be converted to natural gas in a year or two and an EES Here are the quotations for all three options Electric furnace and air conditioning 5 900 High efficiency propane furnace and air conditioning 6 400 Earth Energy System 12 800 The estimated annual fuel costs are as follows Heating Cooling Hot Water Total High efficiency propane furnace A simple payback is easy to calculate Simply subtract the cost of installing one system from the cost of installing the EES and
5. contractor is adequately insured for the work this means coverage of at least 1 million in damages per major event drilling boreholes or trenching installing the heat pump unit or other event Maintenance and Troubleshooting As with any mechanical equipment the unit will eventually not work properly or stop altogether Here are some things you can check before you call your service contractor V Check the air filter If the energy produced by a heat pump is not removed and distributed to your home quickly enough the pressure in the refrigerant system will shut the unit off automatically before it gets damaged If the air filter is clogged enough to prevent adequate air flow through the heat pump it also will shut down Cleaning the filter will restore the air flow Never operate the unit without an air filter as the manufac turer may void the warranty It also may be possible that some of the supply air or return air registers in the home have been blocked off for example painters may have blocked the registers in some rooms while painting v Make sure the thermostat is set properly If the thermostat setting is changed accidentally the unit may not receive a signal to heat or cool your home Some thermostats have a separate switch that controls whether the system heats or air conditions Others may also have warning lights to indicate a problem with the system v Check whether any disconne
6. determine that the distribution system will heat your home properly at the lower EES water temperatures Electric Baseboards Electric baseboards use electrical energy to heat the room in which they are located and do not use a heat distribution system There are two options The first is to build a distribution system into your home either forced air or hydronic and use the appropriate EES The second is to use heat pumps designed to heat a small space without a distribution system Several manufacturers build console type heat pumps in various sizes They are designed to be mounted against a wall and both heat and air condition a single room without a distribution system They are typically 120 130 cm in length 60 cm in height and about 25 cm deep Electrical power supply and piping from the ground loop must be supplied to the console unit This option might be appropriate for places impossible to reach with ductwork e g a third storey loft in an older home Air Conditioning Existing homes without a forced air distribution system can be difficult to air condition Some types of heat pumps like water water models for example are able to provide chilled water that can be used in air conditioning systems However most hydronic heating systems are not designed to provide cooling When a cast iron or baseboard radiator or in floor heating system is cooled with chilled water condensation forms on t
7. more quickly than it can be recharged it will be unable to provide enough energy to run your system And there is no easy way to recharge it quickly So the ground loop has to meet the requirements of your home Some of the factors that will affect the 17 size of the ground loop you need Distribution Systems include The distribution system is an important component of an EES It must be designed to match the capacity of the heat pump 1f it is inadequate parts of your home may not be warm enough in winter or cool enough in summer A poor distribution system will also place unnecessary stress on the heat pump shortening its life and causing unnecessary service calls the heating and cooling requirements of your home e the moisture content and type of soil e the depth at which the loop is buried e the climate the amount of snow covering the Joop in winter and the size of the buried pipes as well as the distance If you are installing an EES in between them a new home with a forced air or ductwork distribution system The larger the heating and cooling loads of your home the larger the oop must be Moist dense soil conducts heat more quickly than light dry soil Pipe that is buried deeper has more soil to draw heat from and will perform better A climate with long cold spells will require a loop battery that can hold more heat Heavy snow cover insulates the earth and h
8. 0 5 L per second a typical backyard pool contains about 60 000 70 000 L A larger home will need proportionally more water You need a reliable well to supply this volume of water Typically you will also need a second or return well to dispose of the water by pumping it back into the ground Most provinces regulate the use of wells and can advise you on the use of well water for EES applications For example you must take care to avoid affecting your neighbors wells when pumping continuously Regulations on the use of well water as a heat source for an EES vary with each province You should contact the department with jurisdiction over ground water resources for the regulations in your province To ensure that the well is capable of supplying the water on a sustainable basis and that the return well has the capacity to accept the water after it has circulated through the heat pump you need to carry out a pump test on your wells In some locations the capacity of the aquifer is well known and you can find out the capacity of your new well within a few hours In other areas it will be necessary to perform a test by measuring the drop in water levels at specified intervals while the well is pumped at a known rate for as long as 24 hours As well water circulates through the heat pump corrosive water can damage the heat exchanger over Supply well Discharge well 3 7 Ground wate
9. 55 C An EES is capable of generating 50 C and with some upgrading of the windows and insulation in the home should work satisfactorily with these systems The piping to the radiators will almost certainly need upgrading however Contractors have successfully used 12 19 or 25 mm flexible PEX tubing to run new lines to the radiators Baseboard Radiators Most baseboard radiator systems were designed to be used with 60 70 C water As a result they are not compatible with an EES The heating capacity of a baseboard radiator drops by 30 50 percent when supplied with water at 50 C In most situations it will be difficult to make an EES work with baseboard radiators without installing many additional units In Floor Heat In floor heating systems are often designed for use with water temperatures lower than ones compatible with an EES However if the system in your home uses pipe installed in the void between the floor joists rather than in concrete or with metal reflector plates it probably will need water temperatures hotter than those produced by an EES Fan Coil Units The heating capacity of a fan coil unit is directly related to the temperature of the water circulated through it You should have the capacity of the heating coil tested to ensure it is able to distribute enough heat to your home with an EES Before deciding to use the existing hot water distribution system the contractor should
10. both the levels of comfort in the space and the efficiency of the heating system Return well a water well in an open loop system designed to return water to an aquifer Reversing valve a device used to reverse the flow of refrigerant in a heat pump to enable it to heat as well as air condition a space Right of way see Easement Setback period on a thermostat the time during which a thermostat is turned down such as during the night to conserve energy Programmable thermostats allows the user to set specific temperatures for a home during different parts of the day They can also be used to set a higher temperature during warm weather to conserve energy while air conditioning a home Setbacks property see Property setbacks Short cycling of a well pump the continuous on and 38 off cycling of a well pump with too great a pumping capacity for an EES Short cycling when a heat pump is in operation can damage the motor of a pump over the long term by causing premature wear of some components and uses significantly more energy than a properly sized pump Simple payback a rough method of determining the economics of installing one EES as opposed to another that can be installed at a lower first cost The simple payback of an EES is calculated by dividing the difference in cost between two systems by the estimated savings in energy costs The cost of maintaining the system and replacing the systems a
11. cooling capacity of the system by the energy input So if the cooling capacity of a system is 36 000 Btu h 36 000 x 0 000293 10 55 kW and the power needed to run the system is 2 29 kW the COP is 10 55 2 29 4 6 The efficiency of an EES varies as the temperatures and flows of the liquid and air pumped through the heat pump change Manufacturers publish the ratings of their EES on the basis of a specific set of standard conditions called the ISO 13256 1 rating The rating for a closed loop system is called the Ground Loop Heat Pump GLHP rating the rating for an open loop or ground water system is called the Ground Water Heat Pump GWHP rating When comparing quotations on equipment make sure you are comparing the equipment on the basis of the same standard ratings As with any system however your EES will only meet the performance ratings if the whole system is designed and installed according to the manufacturer s specifications Loop Size Is Bigger Better You can think of an earth loop as a rechargeable battery permanently connected to a battery charger Heat energy is drawn from the loop or battery as it is needed in your home If the battery is large enough it is easily recharged by the heat energy from the surrounding ground sun rain heat expelled during the cooling of your home and heat emanating from the earth s hot core But if your Joop battery is continuously drawn down
12. like dealing with emergencies The infrastructure needed to transport energy is large and expensive for you and the environment With an EES most of the energy you need is moved less than a few hundred metres into your home The cost of transporting earth energy into your home is the cost of running a circulating pump When a conventional air conditioning system is installed in a home refrigerant lines run from the outdoor condensing unit to the coil in the furnace EESs on the other hand are assembled and tested under controlled conditions so that a refrigerant leak is much less likely Also any leak from an EES would be much smaller as it usually contains just one half the refrigerant charge of a conventional air conditioning unit And now the first units using non CFC refrigerants are being produced reducing potential damage to the atmosphere even more Year Round Comfort People living in homes with an EES often say This home is the most comfortable we ve ever lived in There are several reasons for this The air temperature produced by an EES is typically about 35 C The air produced by a fossil fuel furnace or electric furnace is often heated to 50 60 C much warmer than room temperature This can create hot spots in a room Moving around the room you can often feel temperature differences of 3 4 C You may have lived in a home where you were often about to adjust the thermostat just be
13. pump designed to produce hot water or chilled water Heated or chilled water is used to convey energy using water as a heat transfer medium Hot water is often used in a radiant floor heat system and chilled water is used in conjunction with a fan coil unit can also be used to heat water for domestic use Well water system an open loop return well typically consists of two drilled wells the primary well and the return well Conversion Factors To Convert To Multiply by 39 40 Reader Survey Thank you for your interest in NRCan s Earth Energy Systems A Buyer s Guide To help us serve you better and to improve future editions of this guide please take a few moments to answer the questions below How did you find out about the Guide Introductory brochure NRCan Dealer Retail store Earth Energy Society of Canada Trade show Other Other renewable energy association Did you find this publication informative Yes No How much did you know about Earth Energy Systems before reading the Guide Everything Quite a bit Some A little Nothing Please rate the publication on the following characteristics Excellent Good Average Satisfactory Poor Easy to understand Length Clarity Completeness Photographs Graphics Format Organization
14. result you will need larger radiators or more of them to distribute the same amount of heat Or you can reduce the heat loss from your home by installing more insulation so you need less heat You can also install radiant floor or in floor heating systems These are becoming more common because they can increase comfort and improve system efficiency Again you must make sure that your radiant floor heating system is designed to operate within the temperature capabilities of your EES The temperature difference between the ground loop and the hot water distribution system depends on the efficiency of the EES the greater the difference the less efficient the system Typically an EES will extract heat from the earth at about O C If a radiant floor heating system requires a temperature of 50 C to heat your home the heat pump will produce about 2 5 units of heat for every unit of electricity used to operate the system If the system can be designed to operate with water at 40 C it will produce 3 1 units of heat for every unit of electricity used to operate it In other words it will be about 25 percent more efficient Think about it this way if you have hot spring water to heat your home you do not need a heat pump The hot spring is a totally free 100 percent efficient source of energy But if the temperature of the water from the well needs to be raised 5 C to be high enough to heat your hom
15. the cost of cooling is difficult to calculate accurately In general however an EES is about twice as efficient as a conventional air cooled air conditioning system and will reduce energy costs accordingly Low Maintenance and Long Service Life The heat pump in an EES works like a refrigerator The heat it takes from the earth is brought into your home in the same way your fridge brings the heat from the food placed in it into your kitchen by means of the coil at the back of the fridge The only significant difference other than capacity is the addition of a reversing valve that 14 allows your EES to cool your home and send the heat out of your house and into the earth The compressor of a heat pump is similar to but much larger than a fridge compressor The only other moving parts are the blower motor and the pump to circulate fluid through pipe buried in the ground Unlike an air conditioner the equipment is located inside your home not exposed to dust rain snow and extreme temperatures If the system i e the earth loop and the distribution system is designed to match the needs of your home it will operate with very little maintenance much like your refrigerator The only regular maintenance you will have to do is to make sure the air filter is clean if you have a forced air system Inspections to clean the duct work and fan and check that the electrical contacts are not worn should be part o
16. the earth s heat back into space also see Combustion products of Emissions Global warming Ground or Earth loop see Loop Ground Loop Heat Pump GLHD an alternative term for a heat pump that extracts heat from the ground also see Earth Energy System Ground water a water supply drawn from an underground aquifer also see Aquifer Ground Water Heat Pump GWHD an alternative term for a heat pump that extracts heat from an open well water system Grout grouting the placement of grout in a borehole from the bottom up by means of a pipe or hose and pump during the installation of a vertical loop for an EES also see Tremie line Gypcrete the trade name for a concrete mix used to cover pipe in a radiant floor heating system Its main purpose is to transmit heat away from warm water circulated through the pipe to the air in the room 36 HDPE see High density polyethylene Heat exchanger a device designed to transfer heat between two different materials hot and cold liquid liquid and air liquid and soil or hot and cold air while maintaining a physical separation between the two materials Heating air conditioning system Conventional see Conventional system Heat pump a device at the heart of an EES designed to extract heat from a low grade source like the earth by way of an open or closed loop and concentrate it for use to heat a space It consists of a compresso
17. the loop and the ductwork enough to justify the cost of the HRV By introducing fresh air into your new home you will be cutting down on many of the pollutants emitted by new building materials carpet and furniture which can cause allergies and breathing problems The fresh dry air introduced by the HRV also reduces humidity levels in your home Air Filtration forced air distribution system There are two reasons to filter the air circulating through the heat pump and ductwork of your home The first is to capture dust and pollen particles and keep them from being distributed throughout your home The second is to prevent the air coil in the heat pump from becoming clogged with dirt and losing efficiency There are several different types of air filters available including standard disposable fiberglass filters 10 percent efficient pleated filters washable electrostatic air filters and electronic air filters 50 percent efficient Whichever type you have make sure you change or clean it regularly to maintain the efficiency of the heat pump Controls Thermostat A thermostat is simply a switch that turns a heat pump on or off according to the temperature level in the house Most heat pumps installed in Canadian homes provide air conditioning as well as heating many also have auxiliary heaters usually electric There are a number of thermostat models to choose from They range from simple units t
18. to disturb On a smaller property it may be impossible to get to the best possible site with heavy equipment like a backhoe or large truck mounted drill rig Sometimes there are alternatives Contractors in some areas specialize in the installation of earth loops on smaller lots In some areas it may be possible to drill boreholes deep enough to cause only minimal disturbance to a yard or drill the boreholes with a compact drill rig that can reach the site easily A chain trencher may be small enough to fit into the backyard Make sure you know the type of equipment the contractor is planning to use and that both you and the contractor understand exactly where the loop will be located Many contractors will mark the location of the earth loop with small flags or spray paint markers on the ground Tell the contractor about any landscaping features you want to protect Before work begins answer the following questions Who will be responsible for final 24 Installation of a ground loop for an existing home landscaping work after the loop is completed Will the contractor be installing the loop or will the work be sub contracted If the work is done by a sub contractor will the contractor be at the site when the loop is installed Will the contractor guarantee the installation Adequacy of Existing Electrical System and Ductwork One of the benefits of an EES is its low power demand Although it i
19. used to compress refrigerant gas in a heat pump Compressing a gas raises its temperature and makes it more useable to heat either a home or domestic hot water Condensate drain n opening through which water droplets condensate that form on an air coil in a heat pump while it is in air conditioning mode and collected in a condensate pan are drained to waste Condensing unit part of a conventional air conditioner unnecessary if you install an EES Console type heat pump a pump designed to heat or cool air without being connected to a distribution or duct system and used primarily for a single room application also see Heat pump Conventional heating air conditioning system furnace a system using the prevalent fuels fossil fuel electric resistance air cooled condensing units to provide heating and cooling to most homes Cupro nickel metal alloy or mixture of copper and nickel Desuperheater a heat exchanger installed in a heat pump directly after the compressor and designed to remove a portion of the heat from hot vapourized refrigerant in an EES heat pump it is typically intended to heat domestic hot water Distribution system a system that distributes the heated or cooled air or water supplied by a heating system in a home Ductwork is normally used in a forced air system and water piping is used in a hydronic heating system Earth Energy Society of Canada an o
20. worksheet of installed system including dimensions locations of all piping diameter depths and lengths of loops septic systems water inlet lines lot lines etc If an Open Loop System Supply and return lines to be identified by marker at point of entry to water wells Inform owner of possible effects on supply water well of open loop system water quality quantity etc Ensure water supply well is sealed in accordance with approved well construction practices Ensure water well yields enough water to supply both domestic and heat pump requirements at time of installation This installation was done in accordance with CSA C448 Design and Installation of Earth Energy Systems and currently applicable regulations Name Please Print or Type Signature Date A Glossary Acoustic insulation a sound absorbent material installed inside the plenum and ductwork to reduce noise created by forced air heating and cooling equipment Air conditioning heating system Conventional see Conventional system Air to air heat exchanger see Heat recovery ventilator HRV Air coil see Coil Antifreeze a modifying agent added to water in a closed loop system to lower the temperature at which the water freezes Aquifer a rock or granular sand or gravel formation in which water can collect and through which water can be transmitted more fractured or porous forma
21. 25262 eme pem p ERE REP PSP EE PEE SUD CERTE e Ie ee 16 DisttibuttOn Systems aac oo ore dis dae OSE DEN III PII IE TH eibi is 18 COMMONS 4454445949654 Ure Cr eo EX E x Rex FE P PES SDAP RAG ded essss severo EX EE QA SEE I9 The Cost OF Owning an EES 1 23 972 4644404400 ttt 0004400004 Od nE EEEE EE SIERA 20 3 EARTH ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR AN EXISTING HOME e eh hh m nn 24 Existing Site and Services scocccocse sun dededneder wer esie teak ed ks 6454 Shia ks Ra bcd REIR RE 24 System Design for an Existing HOM 24 a02F6 c nd eee eere ewwerbbr 4X 0p o R3 PIRE 25 Possible Upgrades 55256 Lr eR EU 355500599 9202 SP PA Mada wide Sse ender vee PS PAS Dd 27 Removal of Existing Equipment 0 00 emm vere emque ee daw bids ad dace eee ert eg ea ee es 28 4 CONTRACTOR SELECTION MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING eee 29 Choosing an Barth Energy Contractor oicd cduccawce ae ie da aka kR RE RRERR RECS CREE ER EE 29 A Basic Contract 2440530 28iqacdqoetewedh cade eA DES EE He SC REPPPPRER RES RR RE 29 Maintenance and Troubleshooting ou eue aue ear ree ET dads ORPHPRARORRERIRPRHOHEIHUPIM eed e 29 Servicing Requiring a Contactor c2cccsteddeeddaceseees E Ke EE bods E dre ER eR regere parans 30 5 DO YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION eee hh han 31 APPENDIX INSTALLATION CHECKLIST eee hh 9 9t 32 GLOSSARY aer 34 CONVERSION FACTORS 5a 9 de hr hd e orat SOR bdo sa kd ace bad ORE Ron pim e eae 39 READER SURVEY 455595 5949 o3 RC t
22. A by the kWh shown in Column B to calculate the kWh usage for heating your home A Older home insulation etc not upgraded kWh Average home kWh R 2000 certified home kWh Estimated Hot Water Energy Usage in kWh In Column A enter the number of people in your household in addition to yourself Multiply the number of people by the number in Column B A B First person in home 1st person x 1900 kWh Number of additional people x 1250 kWh Add Lines 4 and 5 to determine the total kWh needed to heat water for a home like yours kWh Cost of Heat and Hot Water Using Electricity Ask your electrical utility for the cost of electricity per kWh Enter it in Column C Line 7 Enter the cost of electricity per kWh and enter this in Line 7 Multiply Line 1 2 or 3 by Line 7 to determine the cost of heating your home using Electricity Multiply Line 6 by Line 7 to determine the cost of heating water for your household using Electricity Cost of Heat and Hot Water Using Natural Gas Determine in what units your utility sells natural gas and what the Basic Utility Charge is Enter this figure in the appropriate line in Column A A B Cost of Natural Gas per cubic metre ES 10 35 Cost of Natural Gas per gigajoule or GJ 2727 79 Enter the COP of ONE of the gas furnaces shown in Column B in Column C B Old gas furnace with pilot light 0 65 Newer gas
23. anada The temperature of the fluid pumped through a closed loop used in a home normally drops to slightly below freezing during the winter When well water is used as the energy source during the winter the heat pump produces more heat and will be more efficient However since the water must actually be lifted from the ground sometimes as much as 15 30 m you will need a more powerful pump than the one required for a closed loop system In addition the same pump often supplies water for both the heat pump and general household use The cost of operating the larger well pump often offsets the efficiency of running the EES with well A drilling rig is used to install vertical boreholes water Ask EES contractors in your area about their experience with open loop systems when deciding on the best option for your home When you are planning any excavation you must make sure the site is surveyed and that the location of any other services such as electrical lines gas lines water lines sewer lines septic fields or underground storage tanks is determined Also when you are deciding where to install a loop on your property keep in mind that heavy equipment cannot operate under overhead electrical lines Wherever you install the ground loop or water wells and lines for an EES they must be added to your site plan This will avoid costly future repairs The CSA standards stipulate that the homeowner must be provi
24. ater Using an Earth Energy System Determine the COP of the EES you are considering from the manufacturer or your contractor Enter this in Column C Enter the COP of the Earth Energy System in Line 30 Divide the cost of electricity in Line 7 by the COP of the Earth Energy System in Line 30 Multiply the cost of electricity in Line 31 by 2 Multiply Line 1 2 or 3 by Line 31 to calculate the cost of heating your home with an Earth Energy System Multiply Line 6 by Line 32 to find the cost of heating Average consumption for residences in Canada The Basic Utility Charge or Delivery Charge is charged by most utilities for monthly service whether the fuel is used or not Since most homes will have electrical service for lighting and other uses to which a basic utility charge would be applied it should not be added to the energy cost of homes heated with Electric Heat or an Earth Energy System 13 B Heat 3 Hot Water O Basic Charge Electric Propane or Oil Earth Energy This graph can be used to compare the annual cost of heat and hot water for your home after you have completed the worksheet The cost of cooling a home can vary greatly depending on the direction its windows face the lifestyle of the residents and other factors Because of this
25. between the two points and the borehole and makes it easy to find later A map like this will be valuable when you or possibly a future owner want to make landscaping changes such as installing a decorative fountain or planting a tree The map should be placed in an envelope attached to the heat pump or some other safe place If you are considering the purchase of a home with an EES already installed ask for a map or diagram of the loop system The CSA standard also states that a tracing wire or tape should be laid in the trench above the pipe so the loop can be located with a metal detector A wide foil tape can also be laid in the trench on top of the pipe to show that something is buried underneath System Design for an Existing Home Optimum Size The heating and cooling capacity of the EES installed in your home is the single most important factor that will ensure a comfortable home long lasting equipment and an efficient system The owner of an existing home especially an older home generally does not have the house plans showing the wall construction ceiling insulation and other details needed to calculate heat loss accurately You will therefore need to measure and estimate 25 the insulation value of features such as the walls the ceiling and the windows This information will be helpful to the contractor preparing a quotation Ideally a drawing showing the direction the house face
26. ch lower with an EES than with any other fuel including natural gas Also earth based system maintenance costs are generally lower than those for a conventional heating and air conditioning system There are good reasons for this A conventional air conditioning system includes an outdoor unit used to expel heat from your home This unit bears the brunt of the often severe Canadian weather conditions that alternate between snow and ice in the winter and heat and humidity in summer It is also subject to the movement of the ground around your home This can put stress on the 20 A Case Study Shadow Ridge Estates Greely Ontario Shadow Ridge Estates shows why choosing an EES is a major plus for both builders and home buyers was originally drawn to this system because it is so energy efficient and environmentally friendly explains Don Cardill owner of Donwel Construction Mr Cardill quickly found out that offering an EES that heats a home in the winter and acts as an air conditioning unit in the summer is a great selling feature for new home buyers We can offer our customers something nobody else does and it s at the same price he says Owners have found that EESs are extremely efficient at cooling homes We can cool the main floor of our house down in just one hour Shadow Ridge Estates home with an Earth Energy System We couldn t do that with our old system says Bill Barnes a 10 yea
27. ct switches or circuit breakers for the heat pump are on Heat pumps with an electric auxiliary heater usually have separate circuit breakers for the heat pump compressor and the auxiliary heater If the circuit breaker trips when you switch it on again contact your contractor or service company immediately v Check the power supply to the circulating pump The pump on most EESs with a closed loop takes its power 29 from the heat pump itself although it can sometimes have a separate power supply The well pump for an open loop ground water system will probably have its own power supply Make sure it is on The controls for the well pump may require repair If so contact the contractor that installed the well pump and pressure system v Check your owner s manual The manufacturer of your heat pump may have recommendations specific to the equipment installed in your home that may correct a problem with your system When the unit is air conditioning your home condensation forms on the air coil inside the heat pump A condensate drain typically clear plastic tubing is normally installed to drain the water from the heat pump to a floor drain sump pit or drain with a trap If an appropriate drain is not located near the heat pump a pump may have to be installed to pump the condensate to a drain In time dust and dirt may plug the condensate drain causing a pan under the air coil to fill and spill ov
28. ded with a copy of a drawing showing the location of a closed loop system and that a tracing wire or tracing tape must be laid in the ground above any closed loop pipes to make finding the system easier in the future In addition the contractor must keep a copy of your closed loop layout for seven years The Earth Energy Society of Canada is planning to set up a database with copies of the earth loop layout on behalf of owners and contractors who are members of the society Benefits of Earth Energy Systems Good for the Environment More than two thirds of the energy delivered to your home by an EES is renewable solar energy stored in the ground This is great for your wallet because it is free energy It is also good for the environment because there are virtually no toxic emissions Each kilowatt KW of electricity used to operate an EES draws more than 3 kW of free renewable energy from the ground A large part of the cost of energy supplied to your home is the expense of getting it there Electric transmission lines gas lines and oil pipelines are costly to build and require extensive rights of way Oil is shipped in tankers halfway around the world so you can heat your home Trucks delivering fuel to your home need fuel and maintenance Shipping energy to your home entails real costs They include not only direct expenses like building pipelines and maintaining transmission lines but also indirect costs
29. describes your home Multiply the area from Column A by the kWh shown in Column B to calculate the kWh usage for heating your home A Older home insulation etc not upgraded Average home R 2000 certified home Estimated Hot Water Energy Usage in kWh In Column A enter the number of people in your household in addition to yourself Multiply the number of people by the number in Column B A B First person in home 1st person x 1900 Number of additional people 3 x 1250 Add Lines 4 and 5 to determine the total kWh needed to heat water for a home like yours Cost of Heat and Hot Water Using Electricity Ask your electrical utility for the cost of electricity per KWh Enter it in Column C Line 7 Enter the cost of electricity per kWh and enter this in Line 7 Multiply Line 1 2 or 3 by Line 7 to determine the cost of heating your home using Electricity Multiply Line 6 by Line 7 to determine the cost of heating water for your household using Electricity Cost of Heat and Hot Water Using Natural Gas Determine in what units your utility sells natural gas and what the Basic Utility Charge is Enter this figure in the appropriate line in Column A A B Cost of Natural Gas per cubic metre 0 42 10 35 Cost of Natural Gas per gigajoule or GJ 227 19 Enter the COP of ONE of the gas furnaces shown in Column B in Column C B Old gas fu
30. divide by the fuel cost savings For example Earth Energy System 12 800 Electric furnace and air conditioning 5 900 The simple payback is 6 900 1 727 680 6 6 years 22 A cash flow analysis shows you your cash outlay each year for owning and operating a system If you are financing the cost of your home over a 20 year period the cost difference to install the heating and air conditioning system is financed as well For example Energy Cost Annual Principal Total and Interest 7 5 Electric System 1 727 557 2 284 Earth Energy System 680 1 208 1 888 Annual cash flow saving with an EES The difference in annual energy costs more than makes up the difference of the higher initial cost of installing the EES When you take into account your monthly mortgage payments and the monthly energy costs of both systems you end up with an extra 37 449 12 months in your pocket every month Of course when you take inflation or rising fuel prices into account your savings are even higher A life cycle cost calculation takes the cash flow analysis a few steps further by adding the cost of inflation on fuel the cost of replacing your equipment at the end of its expected life the cost of borrowing the money to install the system and other costs These costs are typically estimated over a 20 year period and are relatively complex to calculate But the following points are worth
31. e Horizontal Loop 120 m home 8 8 kW 2 5 ton 160 m home 14 kW 4 ton 240 m home 17 6 kW 5 ton relatively constant temperatures of the earth Again very little stress is placed on the pipe which is virtually maintenance free Again the air filter of an EES using a forced air system must be cleaned or changed regularly as with any forced air heating equipment Purchase Costs The cost of installing an EES can vary significantly in different parts of the country Typically the cost of the heat pump itself is about the same as that of a conventional furnace and air conditioner The cost of installing the heat pump can actually be somewhat lower as it eliminates the costs of gas line connections the chimney and a pad for the installation of the outdoor air conditioning unit Vertical Loop clay 2 400 3 200 3 500 4 500 4 800 6 000 Vertical Loop rock The cost of installing the ductwork for an EES should be similar to the cost of ductwork for a conventional system The cost of installing the distribution system for a hydronic system may be slightly higher than that of a gas boiler however because the lower water supply temperatures from an EES may require the installation of more floor heat pipe or a larger radiation system The major difference in cost between an EES and a conventional heating and air conditioning system is the cost of the earth loop
32. e you need some additional energy If it has to be raised 20 C you need even more energy The greater the temperature difference the greater the additional energy need If you are thinking of installing a radiant floor heating system in your home you should tell the person designing it that you are planning to use an EES Make sure you take the following factors into account placing your floor pipe 20 cm rather than 30 cm apart reduces the water temperature required to heat your home by 4 to 5 C and increases the efficiency of your EES by about 10 percent laying your floor heating pipe in concrete or Gypcrete rather than using aluminum reflective plates with the pipe reduces the required temperature by 12 to 15 C increasing the efficiency of your EES by 25 to 30 percent suspending pipe in the joist space under a floor means that you will need temperatures higher than what your EES can produce unless the heat loss in the space is very low placing insulation under a slab on grade floor or under a basement floor reduces heat loss to the ground below and installing a control system that lowers the water temperature pumped through the floor as the outdoor temperature rises increases the efficiency of the EES This type of control is commonly called an outdoor reset control Earth Energy System Variations Overview EESs by definition use the earth as their energy source As noted earlier t
33. eck into the location of underground services around your home In addition you should do a survey to find where your property lines are as well as the positioning of easements and required property setbacks Your neighbours domestic water wells may be affected Similarly your neighbours wells may affect the performance of your open loop EES Effect on Landscaping The installation of the earth loop for an EES will always cause some disturbance to the landscaping around your home A horizontal loop will require significantly more excavation than other types of loops although any loop installation will require some digging around your home The repairs to the landscaping take time because the earth takes time to settle back into the trenches The length of time depends to some extent on the type of soil on your property Heavy clay soils tend to take longer to settle than looser sandier soil In some soil conditions the contractor may recommend that the dirt remain mounded over the trench for several months or even for the winter The dirt will settle as the rain soaks the trench over time or the spring runoff breaks down the larger clumps of earth If the extra earth is removed there probably will be some settling which will result in a dip in the lawn wherever the trenching was done The results are generally better if the earth is allowed to settle naturally You can speed up the soil settling by compactin
34. ed through the heat pump s heat exchanger In both cases a pump circulates liquid through the Joop and the heat pump The heat pump chills or collects the heat stored in the A coiled loop can be installed in the ground or in a pond or lake liquid when it is being used as a source of heat and circulates it back through the loop to pick up more heat A system for a large home will require a larger heat pump and ground loop with a circulation pump to match After the EES has taken the heat energy from the ground loop and upgraded it to a temperature usable in your home it delivers the heat evenly to all parts of the building through a distribution system It can use either air or water to move the heat from the heat pump into the home Forced air is the most common distri bution system in most parts of Canada although a hot water or hydronic system can also be used Forced Air Systems A heat pump in a forced air EES uses a heat exchanger to take the heat energy from the refrigerant to heat the air that is blown over it The air is directed through ducts to the different rooms in the home as with any forced air fossil fuel or electric furnace The advantages of a forced air EES are as follows e it can distribute fresh outside air throughout the home it can air condition the home by taking the heat from the air in your home and transferring it to the ground loop as well as heat it and e it can fil
35. efficient An electric furnace or baseboard system can therefore be considered 100 percent efficient An EES does not create any combustion products As with the B Heat Bl Hot water L Basic Charge Electric Propane Earth Energy or Oil This chart shows the energy cost of the home described on the following worksheet example When compared to electric heat and hot water systems the EES reduces costs by 1 140 natural gas by 920 and propane by 1 930 annually Feel free to make copies of the worksheet to compare the efficiency of the EES to other fuels electric furnace all the electric energy used to run the compressor the pump and the fan stays in the house But since the system also draws additional free energy from the ground it can actually produce more energy than you put into it Because of this an EES can be considered to operate at more than 100 percent efficiency The efficiency of a heating system is measured as the Coefficient of Performance COP Measuring the energy your EES produces and dividing it by the energy you put into it and pay for gives you the COP For example if you purchase natural gas that could if burned completely produce 100 units of heat but 7 of those units are lost up the chimney the COP is as follows
36. elps retain the earth s heat If earth loop pipes are buried farther apart they are recharged by a greater mass of soil A competent contractor will know the soil conditions in your area and will design the earth loop on the basis of all these factors Some heat pump manufacturers provide contractors with computer software to do this The CSA requires that a closed loop be installed with a Fluid or liquid from ground loop it is crucial for the contractor designing and installing it to know the amount of air that must be moved through the system for proper operation If the air flow is restricted because the ductwork is too small you will find that some rooms are not heated or cooled adequately the system may also create air noise You may find yourself making unnecessary service calls because the heat pump cannot distribute all of the heat produced Finally safety controls may shut the system off during summer or winter temperature extremes minimum length of HDPE on the basis of the variables listed above 18 Forced air distribution system can both heat and cool your home depending on the season If you decide on a hydronic heating system the contractor should ensure an adequate fresh air supply to all parts of your new home A heat recovery ventilator HRV with ductwork to each room can accomplish this effec tively Ventilation is especially important in new homes as they are typically bu
37. epend on the size of your property your future plans for it its soil and even your contractor s excavation equipment Most often the loop configuration is selected on the basis of cost If the Joop is designed and installed properly by taking into account the heating and cooling requirements of the home one type of loop will operate with the same efficiency as another and provide years of free renewable energy Canadian Standards Association International CSA and the industry have developed standards for EES installation In addition most heat pump manufacturers have developed guidelines or proprietary software for their products to ensure that EESs using them are designed and installed correctly Most provide training for contractors that install their equipment as well as technical support for their dealers As a homeowner considering the installation of an EES ask your contractor for proof of training experience and competence of its staff in loop design and installation Horizontal ground loops can both heat and cool your home They are buried underground Coiled or slinky loop Horizontal Loops As the name implies these loops are buried horizontally usually at a depth of about 2 to 2 5 m although it can vary from 1 5 to 3 m or more Usually trenches are excavated with a backhoe a chain trencher can be used in some soil types Fill can sometimes be used to cover a loop in a low l
38. er onto the floor Cleaning the drain and the hose will normally solve this problem 30 Servicing Requiring a Contractor Occasionally your EES may require servicing Specialized training and diagnostic tools may be needed to ensure the proper operation of your system Call your service contractor if e the circuit breaker for the heat pump or circulating pump trips repeatedly after resetting the heat pump does not heat or air condition adequately after you have checked that the air filter is clean and the thermostat settings are correct e you hear a gurgling noise from the piping connecting your heat pump to the earth loop or e you hear grinding noises from the pump circulating fluid through your heat pump 5 Do You Need More Information Renewable and Electrical Energy Division The Canadian Geo Exchange Coalition Energy Resources Branch Web site http www geo exchange ca Natural Resources Canada 580 Booth Street 17th Floor To find out about manufacturers dealers distributors Ottawa ON K1A OE4 or installers of EESs in your area please contact Fax 613 995 0087 Web site http www nrcan gc ca redi Earth Energy Society of Canada 124 O Connor Street Suite 504 CANMET Energy Technology Centre Ottawa ON K1P 5M9 Natural Resources Canada Tel 613 371 3372 580 Booth Street 13th Floor Fax 613 822 4987 Ottawa ON K1A OE4 Web site http www earthenergy ca Fax 613 996 9418 Web Site http w
39. ess you own the lake however you need permission from the provincial government and in some cases from the Government of Canada to install a lake loop Some juris dictions do not allow them Destruction of fish spawning grounds shoreline erosion obstruction of traffic on navigable waters and potential damage to the environment concern several government departments In some jurisdictions enough lake loops have been installed that permission is simply a matter of filling out forms Some EES contractors who specialize in lake loop installation handle all the permission paperwork for their clients In the Prairies farm ponds are often excavated to provide water for irrigation or livestock A 750 1000 m pond with a constant depth of 2 5 m can do double duty as a clean source of energy The oceans can also supply vast amounts of energy but care must be taken to protect an ocean loop from tide and wave damage Many homes on the West Coast already benefit from free renewable ocean energy Open Loops Open loops or ground water EESs take heat from well water that is pumped directly through the heat exchanger in a heat pump The required flow of well water is determined by the capacity of your heat pump In the coldest part of the winter heating a Lake loop systems pond can be used in either heating or cooling mode typical 150 m new home takes 20 000 30 000 L of water per day or a flow rate of 0 4
40. etter to replace the standard bypass humidifier with a non bypass type A bypass unit will lower the performance of the heat pump and reduce the quantity of air delivered to the registers If you are keeping your current hydronic 28 system as your heating distribution system a portable humidifier may be an option particularly if you are adding an HRV to the system Removal of Existing Equipment If your existing furnace will not be left in as a backup system you must make sure that it is removed at the conclusion of the contract Equally important the gas line should be disconnected and capped properly similarly the oil tank must be removed and the filler hole cemented Also be sure to cancel any fuel supply or service contracts oil has sometimes been delivered to a house where a tank had been recently removed but the fill line had not yet been plugged or removed 4 Contractor selection Maintenance and Troubleshooting Choosing an Earth Energy Contractor The best way to ensure that you get an experienced and reliable contractor is to obtain references from satisfied former clients If you cannot contact the Earth Energy Society of Canada listed on page 31 You may also want to contact the Better Business Bureau near you or the system manufacturer for a list of qualified installers Contact at least three of the recommended contractors and get written estimates for the work If you have access t
41. f an annual service contract If you install an open loop or well water system the heat exchanger in the heat pump may require regular cleaning by a qualified service contractor Several studies have shown that an EES lasts much longer than a conventional fossil fuel furnace and air conditioning system as the EES is not exposed to rain snow and extreme outdoor temperature changes The earth loop if installed to CSA standards can be expected to perform well for 50 years or more Heating Domestic Hot Water After space heating and air conditioning heating water is the largest single energy user in most homes Water heating capability can be added to your heat pump simply by including a heat exchanger into the refrigerant circuit inside the heat pump Most heat pump manufacturers offer units with a desuperheater Whenever the heat pump compressor is running to heat or cool your home water from a conventional electric water heater is circulated through the desuperheater and heated by the hot refrigerant When the heat pump is not running the electric heaters in the hot water tank heat the water Depending on hot water use a desuperheater can provide from 30 to 60 percent of the hot water needed in the average home Some manufacturers have taken this concept a step further by offering heat pumps that can produce all of the hot water needed on demand These heat pumps are designed to switch automatically from heati
42. f soil is three to four times more costly than that of a horizontal one In areas like southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan however where glacial Lake Agassiz has left 15 50 m of soft clay deposits a vertical loop can be installed for about the same cost as a horizontal one The depth of borehole needed for a vertical loop depends on the same factors that determine the land area required for a horizontal one The land area needed for the vertical loop however depends on the depth to which the boreholes can be drilled cost effectively For example if an EES requires 180 m of borehole in total and is to be installed where bedrock is found at 20 m it would usually be cheaper to drill nine boreholes to a depth of 20 m than three to a depth of 60 m Nine boreholes would require an area of about 150 m2 and three an area of about 60 m2 Lake or Pond Loops These types of loops can be installed very cost effectively for a home located near a lake or pond Many homes in northern Ontario for example are within metres of a lake that soaks up the sun s energy all summer The water temperature at the bottom of an ice covered lake is about 4 to 5 C even during the coldest blizzard And in the summer the lake water can easily absorb the heat you are trying to expel to cool your home All you need is a year round minimum depth of 2 2 5 m of water in which the Joop can be protected from wave action and ice pile ups Unl
43. fore the furnace came on and a few minutes later had to take off your sweater This is caused by oversizing the conventional heating system Even on the coldest day an oversized furnace may only run for 15 minutes an hour because it can produce all the heat you need by running only 25 percent of the time The thermostat is satisfied quickly when the furnace is on and may even overshoot the desired temperature by a degree or two and then the temperature drops several degrees before coming on again This happens because the cost of installing a larger furnace is almost insignificant so the bigger is better attitude often prevails If the heat loss of a home is reduced by upgrading the insulation or windows the overheating problem is made worse The cost of installing a larger EES however makes it prohibitive to oversize a system As a result it runs almost continuously maintaining very even temperatures throughout the home Several manufacturers build two speed units with multi speed fans These match the heating and cooling loads of your home virtually year round In spring and fall when you do not need the full capacity of the system the compressor and fan will operate at low speed providing only as much heating and air conditioning as you need As the days get colder in winter or during very hot summer days the system will operate at high speed Most EESs are installed with thermostats that swi
44. furnace with pilot light before 1995 0 76 r3 Mid efficiency gas furnace 0 83 High efficiency gas furnace 0 93 Divide Line 10 or Line 11 by Line 12 13 14 or 15 to calculate the cost per kWh Add Basic Utility Charge Multiply Line 1 2 or 3 by Line 16 to determine the total cost of heating your home using Natural Gas Multiply Line 6 by Line 16 to determine the cost of heating water for your household using Natural Gas Cost of Heat and Hot Water Using Propane or Oil Ask your fuel supplier for the cost of propane or oil per litre and if there is a separate delivery or tank rental charge Enter in Column A A B Propane cost per litre 6 97 Oil cost per litre 10 69 Enter the COP of ONE of the gas furnaces shown in Column B in Column C B Old gas furnace with pilot light 0 65 Ea Newer propane or oil furnace with pilot light before 1995 0 76 ee Mid efficiency propane or oil furnace 0 83 High efficiency propane or oil furnace 0 93 pud Divide Line 20 or Line 21 by Line 22 23 24 or 25 to calculate the cost per kWh Add Fuel Delivery Charge Multiply Line 1 2 or 3 by Line 26 to determine the total cost of heating your home using Propane or Oil Multiply Line 6 by Line 26 to determine the total cost of heating water for your household using Propane or Oil Cost of Heat and Hot W
45. g homes see System Design for a New Home on page 16 Alternatives for Homes Heated with Hot Water or Electric Baseboard Heaters An EES can be installed in an existing home with a hydronic or hot water heating system or a home with electric baseboard heaters Here are some things you should consider if you want to install a hydronic heating system Hydronic Systems There are several types of residential hydronic systems They include the old heavy cast iron radiators the more modern compact baseboard radiators and radiant floor heating There are also systems that use hot water to transfer heat to a forced air system by means of a fan coil unit Each of them can be used with an EES although there are presently no heat pumps that can produce water warmer than 50 C so the heating capacity of the distribution system may be reduced Many existing hot water heating systems will not distribute enough heat to your home unless used with water at a temperature greater than 65 70 C If you have recently upgraded the insulation and airtightness of your home however its heat loss may have been reduced enough to allow you to use a water temperature low enough to install an EES Cast Iron Radiators These decorative heavy radiators were designed for use without a protective cover As they are often located where people could come into contact with them the systems were usually designed to operate at about 50
46. g of the soil every 10 20 cm as the trench is backfilled although the labour cost can be high Soaking the soil in the trench can accelerate the settling process as well Once the soil has settled there will be nothing on your lawn to show that a ground loop is buried on your property Effect on Adjoining Structures Make sure your EES is designed so as not to disturb trees walls overhead wires and other landscaping features Allow space for the trenching or drilling equipment as well as the excavated soil No part of your system or the coil you dig up should cross a property line without the written approval of your neighbour Also make sure you avoid crossing other underground services like gas and water mains telephone lines power cables sewer lines and drains and protect them from damage or freezing An earth loop must never be placed under a septic tank or cross the septic system s drain In general EES piping should be placed well away from other services to avoid damage during repair operations When the earth loop installation is complete the CSA standard states that you should make a map pinpointing its location The simplest method of mapping the earth loop is to measure each significant point of the oop such as the boreholes and the end of a trench from two separate permanent landmarks For example you can plot the location of a borehole from two corners of your home this creates a triangle
47. hat are switched from heating to cooling manually to devices that can be programmed with a variety of settings and even more sophisticated control systems that allow you to adjust the temperature of your home over the Internet In addition there are zone control systems that allow you to heat or cool different areas of your home to different temperatures EESs are normally matched much more closely to the heating requirements of your home than conventional heating systems As noted above the systems are often slightly undersized and use electric auxiliary heaters on the coldest days A programmable thermostat may actually use more energy here because as the system is bringing the temperature of the home up after a set period the electric auxiliary heater may come on 19 Humidifier Humidity control is an important factor in maintaining comfort in your home Fresh air brought into your home in winter holds less moisture than the warm air inside It can thus lower the relative humidity in your home to an un comfortable level You may want to consider adding a humidifier When you install a humidifier with your EES you should choose one that does not need a bypass between the supply and return air ducts The Cost of Owning an EES Operating and Maintenance Costs More than two thirds of the energy produced by an EES is free energy drawn from the ground It is easy to see why the energy costs can be mu
48. he cold surface of the pipes through which the water is circulated Some types of fan coil units can be used for air conditioning through the use of chilled water but the condensation must be collected in a condensate pan under the water coil Also the pipes through which the chilled water circulates must be insulated It might also be appropriate to use console type heat pumps see the previous section Electric Baseboards to provide cooling in some areas of a home heated with a hydronic system Some manufacturers produce equipment that can heat water for use with a hydronic system and also heat or chill air for use in a forced air system With this equipment it may be possible to add some ductwork to your home for air conditioning while keeping your existing hydronic distribution system to provide heat Possible Upgrades Upgrading Air Filters See page 19 for a discussion on air filters Whatever your filter type you must change or clean it regularly to maintain the efficiency of your heat pump Adding a Heat Recovery Ventilator You can improve the indoor air quality of your home by adding a heat recovery ventilator HRV Adding an HRV is also a good idea if you are improving the sealing and insulation of your home while installing an EES A more airtight R 2000 home for example will take in less fresh air and so justify the installation of a separate fresh air distribution system incorpora
49. here are basically two ways to move energy from the ground and into your home an open loop or well water system or a closed loop In a closed loop system a loop is buried in the earth around the home or laid in a nearby lake or pond Virtually all loops built today use high density polyethylene HDPE pipe This type of pipe was designed to be buried in the ground it is also used for small natural gas pipelines or water lines Joints are made by fusing or melting the pipe and fittings together which makes a nearly leak proof connection Mechanical joints are not used in the ground A loop made out of HDPE can last 50 years or more A mixture of antifreeze and water is circulated continuously through the loop and heat pump transferring heat from or to the soil respectively as heating or air conditioning is needed In a closed loop system the fluid never comes in contact with the soil It is sealed inside the loop and heat pump In an open loop system ground water is drawn up from a well and through the heat pump then typically pumped back into a return well New water is always being pumped through the system when it is in operation It is called an open loop system because the ground water is open to the environment Closed Loops Closed loops can have many configurations There are three basic types vertical horizontal and lake or pond The loop type and configuration most suitable for your home d
50. ilt to be more airtight than older homes Before you chose a contractor ask detailed questions about the design of the distribution system How were the duct sizes determined Do they ensure adequate airflow to each room and for the system How were the pipe sizes calculated The cost of the distribution system can be as much as 15 25 percent of the cost of the system If it is made too small the system may cost less to install but will probably not heat and cool your home as quietly efficiently or comfortably as a larger one would and cost more in service calls over its lifetime Heat Recovery Ventilator The energy crisis of the 1970s spurred a lot of research on reducing the energy requirements in new homes Home builders have worked hard to make houses more airtight As a result mechanical ventilation systems are now installed to ensure fresh air gets into new houses to replace the air that used to enter old houses through cracks around the windows doors and joists in concrete basements Ventilation can mean simply flushing stale humid air with a fan and introducing fresh air with a second fan but in areas with a cold climate including most of Canada this represents a major heat loss A heat recovery ventilator HRV reduces the heat lost through ventilation by recovering between 60 and 80 percent of the heat from the exhaust air This can by itself reduce the size of the EES including the heat pump
51. ions local regulations and other factors 15 A 2 Earth Energy Home Design Considerations Energy Efficient Home Design Your decision to install an EES in your new home is a major step toward making it one of the most energy efficient homes in the country But your home is a system and the FES is just one part of it The other home design choices you make will affect how much you pay for your energy your future energy costs and how comfortable you are in your home These include the following e the type and level of insulation in its walls ceilings and floors the type of windows you choose and the direction they face how airtight your house is e the ventilation system e the types of appliances and lighting and the landscaping around your home There are many energy saving options you can choose from Natural Resources Canada offers a wealth of information on how to make your home more energy efficient please consult the address or phone number at the back of this guide When you make your new home more energy efficient you also reduce the size and cost of the EES you need You can use a smaller less costly heat pump earth loop and distribution system 16 Location of In ground Equipment and Services Make sure there is adequate clearance between the EES and other in ground items like swimming pools wells and septic systems Allow enough space to manoeuver the chain trenche
52. ir stream distributing air to the home Hydronic heating air conditioning system Conventional see Conventional system In floor heating systems see Floor heating systems Infrastructure permanent large scale engineering installations like roads sewers and energy pipelines e Joist one of a series of parallel timber or metal beams installed from wall to wall in a house to support the floor or ceiling Lake loop see Loop Life cycle cost similar to a cash flow analysis used to calculate the economics of owning an EES the life cycle cost analysis also takes into account the cost of maintaining and or replacing the equipment as it deteriorates over time probably the most accurate method of determining the true cost of owning an EES Loop a heat exchanger used to transfer heat between a heat pump and the earth using liquid as a heat transfer medium Types of loops used in an Earth Energy System include the following Open designed to recover and return ground or surface water with a liquid source heat pump usually requires two wells one from which to draw the water primary well and a second to receive the circulated water return well Closed a continuous sealed underground or submerged system through which a heat transfer fluid refrigerant is circulated Ground also Earth a sealed underground pipe through which a heat transfer fluid is circulated to transfer hea
53. le connections bendable connectors of ductwork or piping designed to prevent the transfer of vibration from heating or air conditioning equipment such as a heat pump to the main ductwork or piping in the home Floor heating system a heat distribution system in which the floor is warmed usually by circulating warm water through pipes in the floor or with electric elements built into the floor structure Heat is radiated to the room by the entire floor surface Water can be heated by any hot water heating system Also known as in floor or radiant floor heating Forced air heating air conditioning systems Conventional see Conventional systems Fossil fuel combustible substance derived from the decay of organic material over long periods of time and under high pressure such as natural gas oil propane or coal Global warming increase in the temperature of the earth s oceans and atmosphere due to the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide CO carbon dioxide CO sulphur dioxide SO and nitrous oxides NO also see Combustion 35 products of Emissions Green house gases CO CO SO NO Greenhouse gases gases released through combustion of fossil fuels releases gases like carbon monoxide CO carbon dioxide CO sulphur dioxide SO and nitrous oxides NO commonly referred to as such because they allow the sun s radiation to pass through but block the radiation of
54. ll not hurt the earth or plants growing above it There is no visible part to show that it is buried in your yard If your system uses ground water it has no effect on the water other than changing its temperature by a few degrees Finally a well designed ground water system will not waste the water but put it back into the ground by means of a return well How Earth Energy Systems Work The heat energy taken from the ground by your EES is considered low grade heat In other words it is not warm enough to heat your home without being concentrated or upgraded somehow However there is plenty of it the average temperature of the ground just a few metres below the surface is similar to or even higher than the average annual outdoor air temperature For example in Toronto the average annual air Distribution System Heat Pump Components of a typical Earth Energy System temperature is about 8 9 C but the average ground temperature is 10 1 C It is important to note that this ground temperature is 10 1 C on the hottest day of summer as well as on the coldest day of winter That is why some of the first humans lived in caves the caves would protect them from the temperature extremes of winter and summer That is also why an EES works so efficiently it uses a constant relatively warm source ground or water from which to draw energy Basic Components of an EES The figure on page 1 il
55. loss suffered by anyone using the information contained in this guide It is distributed for information purposes only and does not reflect the views of the Government of Canada or constitute an endorsement of any commercial product or person All photographs in this guide are compliments of Ed Lohrenz of Ice Kube Systems except for the photograph on page 20 OM S s a T Z 3 Sd Me ny C Recycled paper Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2002 ISBN 0 662 30980 4 Cat No M92 236 2001E Aussi disponible en francais sous le titre Les syst mes g othermiques r sidentiels Guide de l acheteur Table of Contents HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE 65 55 556 6 aa ope paws RUE V RR ERE vue qa p Reo HSE SSE A Ae iv 1 INTRODUCTION TO EARTH ENERGY SYSTEMS 1 1 cc ccc ccc ee cece cee hh mnn 1 What is Earthi ENerpy 2252s se uses esee mese ot amt ged hams dad bares a S eee ea il How Earth Energy Systems Work 2 4 34 cece cehs Sees eee eed 44 4444 XR IDa D OSS Gees 1 Earth Energy System Variations ics ci pes ex a borr PASTORS So Sods aaie es one eee E P ES e 4 Benefits of Earth Energy System i sooo erbe he reer ee te eee beet bent bees oar Y e rr ds 9 Worksheet Example 6i4 4344p Frereqeke dd despepoSSLEDOEPeRPERRMPRERRITIS MP I ISOSPOPiNE 12 2 EARTH ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR A NEW HOME ehh hh mtt 16 Home Desibpri GCODSIQerablOls c2 lad d wea desire eee NE II gp Pe dur deg eee amet 16 System Design ford New HOme
56. lustrates a typical EES It is made up of three main parts a loop the heat pump and the distribution system The following section describes some of the various loop designs heat pumps and distribution systems commonly used in a Canadian EES The loop is built from plastic pipe which is buried in the ground outside your home either in a horizontal trench horizontal loop or through holes drilled in the earth vertical loop The loop may also be laid on the bottom of a nearby lake or pond lake loop or pond loop Your EES circulates liquid the heat transfer fluid through the oop and to the heat pump located inside the home The heat pump chills the liquid and distributes the heat collected from it throughout the home The chilled liquid is pumped back into the loop and because it is colder than the ground is able to draw more heat from the surrounding soil These loops are often referred to collectively as a closed loop as the same liquid circulates through the closed system over and over again Another way is to pump ground water or well water directly through the heat pump An EES that uses ground water is often referred to as an open loop system The heat pump cools the well water which is usually returned to the ground in a return well To run an open loop EES you need two reliable wells with water that contains few dissolved minerals that can cause scale build up or rust over the long term as it is pump
57. nal heat on just the coldest days usually electric heating elements are installed in the ductwork or built into the heat pump The few hours the electric heat is needed affect your energy bills only slightly but can reduce the cost of installing an EES significantly And because heating is more important than cooling in most of Canada the lower air conditioning capacity of the system is acceptable for most homes and will perform better than a larger system The performance of a heat pump is rated for both heating and cooling efficiency This is usually expressed as the Coefficient of Performance or COP The COP in the heating mode is referred to as the COP and in the cooling mode as the COP You calculate it by dividing the heating or cooling capacity of the system by the energy used to run it For example if the heating capacity of a system is 10 4 kW and the power needed to operate the compressor pump and blower is 3 25 kW the COP is 10 4 3 25 3 2 Similarly if the cooling capacity is 10 55 kW 36 000 Btu h x 0 000293 10 55 and the power needed is 2 51 kW the COP is 10 55 2 51 4 2 Note Some manufacturers define the air conditioning efficiency of their EES as its Energy Efficiency Ratio EER The EER expressed in Btu h per watt can be converted to COP by dividing the EER by 3 413 Air conditioning efficiency can be expressed in the same terms You calculate the COP by dividing the
58. ne 6 by Line 26 to determine the total cost of heating water for your household using Propane or Oil 29 463 29 463 Cost of Heat and Hot Water Using an Earth Energy System Determine the COP of the EES you are considering from the manufacturer or your contractor Enter this in Column C Enter the COP of the Earth Energy System in Line 30 Divide the cost of electricity in Line 7 by the COP of the Earth Energy System in Line 30 Multiply the cost of electricity in Line 31 by 2 Multiply Line 1 2 or 3 by Line 31 to calculate the cost of heating your home with an Earth Energy System Multiply Line 6 by Line 32 to find the cost of heating water for your household with an Earth Energy System Average consumption for residences in Canada The Basic Utility Charge or Delivery Charge is charged by most utilities for monthly service whether the fuel is used or not Since most homes will have electrical service for lighting and other uses to which a basic utility charge would be applied it should not be added to the energy cost of homes heated with Electric Heat or an Earth Energy System 12 Worksheet Worksheet to Estimate Annual Cost of Heating your Home Using Different Fuels Estimated Heating Energy Usage in kWh Enter the heated area of your home in square metres in Column A in Row 1 2 or 3 whichever best describes your home Multiply the area from Column
59. ng and cooling air by means of a forced air system to heating water which can be used for domestic use or for a hydronic hot water heating system The initial cost for this type of unit is higher but with a large demand for hot water the extra cost can be recovered quickly These units are ideal for homes with large families and large demands for domestic hot water homes with a hydronic heat distribution system in one part of the home and a forced air system in others e g radiant floor heat in the garage or basement and forced air on the main level and e heating an outdoor swimming pool during the summer months Non Intrusive and Quiet EESs use the earth or ground water to dissipate the heat from your home to cool it Conventional air cooled air conditioners or air source heat pumps move the heat inside your home to the outside An EES replaces the outdoor condensing units of a conventional system with a ground loop or well water system that is buried underground With an EES the outdoor compressor fan noise and space needed for a condensing unit are eliminated leaving you with a quieter more peaceful backyard Other Benefits Because all of the mechanical components of an EES are inside they are protected from vandalism and the weather EESs can be applied to almost any house type and location the type of system you choose depends on the availability of land or water soil condit
60. ng the system including interest paid on money borrowed to purchase it and the cost of energy used to operate it CFC a fluid used as a refrigerant in an EES toxic if released into the air Non toxic refrigerants are now being produced also see Refrigerant Chain trencher mechanical trench excavating heavy equip ment that can be used during the installation of an EES loop Circulation or circulating pump in an EES a device used to pump liquid through the loop and heat pump The liquid transfers heat between the earth and the heat pump Closed loop see Loop Coefficient of performance heating COP a measure of the efficiency of a heating appliance calculated by dividing the heat output by the energy input Coefficient of Performance cooling COP a measure of the efficiency of an air condition ing appliance calculated by dividing the cooling output by the energy input Coil Air Water the heat exchanger that transfers heat between the air and refrigerant is sometimes called an air coil whereas the one transferring heat between the refrigerant and the liquid circulated through the loop is often referred to as a water coil Combustion products of toxic particles produced by the burning of fossil fuels like oil natural gas propane and coal eliminated by the installation of an EES also see Emissions Greenhouse gases CO CO SO NO Global warming Compressor a device
61. noting The estimated life expectancy of the heat pump in an EES is approximately 18 to 20 years or about the same as a conventional furnace A conventional air conditioner or air source heat pump can be expected to last only 12 15 years because the outdoor unit is exposed to the weather The earth loop can be expected to last 50 75 years Even if the heat pump needs replacement after 20 years the earth loop can be expected to last much longer If the cash flow analysis shows that your annual savings are 449 per year now inflation will increase the value of the savings with the fuel inflation rate e If you were to invest the annual energy cost savings in an RRSP earning 8 percent interest assuming an inflation rate of 2 5 percent the annual savings would grow to be worth over 24 000 The cost of fossil fuels is likely to rise more rapidly than electricity rates in the early part of the 21st century because of increasing demand as North American utilities convert from burning coal to natural gas 23 A 3 Earth Energy Existing Site and Services Access To Site An EES draws heat from the earth Burying a ground loop for an EES requires excavation around your home Other services are usually buried in the ground already including electrical cables water lines sewer lines septic fields and gas lines that must be avoided when you dig There may be trees and shrubs that you would prefer not
62. nt odatta E de ei qa TSS SES T b vele RE BESS 41 How to Use this Guide Residential Earth Energy Systems A Buyer s Guide provides homeowners with the information they need to plan for the purchase of an earth energy heat pump system in a new or existing home You may have already read the companion brochure An Introduction to Earth Energy Systems Now you want to know more about this renewable and energy efficient year round climate control system Section 1 is an introduction to Earth Energy Systems what they are how they work the different types the benefits they provide and how much earth energy they need to work Whether you are buying or building a new home or planning to retrofit your existing home you should read Section 1 New home buyers should then read Section 2 Here you will read about how your house design affects an Earth Energy System It also recommends system designs that work best for your house type and compares their typical operating costs to alternative heating and cooling systems Section 3 is for homeowners who want to install an Earth Energy System in their existing home The design and system that are right for the home you are living in now can be very different from standard systems Because of this and to make the installation of your new system as easy as possible for you and your family you need to plan This section covers various Ways you can upgrade your hea
63. o the Internet some keywords you might search are geothermal heat pumps earth energy ground source heat pumps and geoexchange Some Web sites you might want to visit are listed on page 31 A Basic Contract Once you have chosen your contractor make sure that the contract provides details on each of the following breakdown of the tasks e the work involved at each stage a list of equipment a breakdown of costs for the material and labour and a payment schedule In addition the contract should specify who is responsible for relandscaping the property and internal refinishing as the job is not complete until this work is done It should include the calculation of the heating and cooling load for the home any required changes or upgrades to the ductwork fans or filters and the electrical system as well as the installation and startup of the EES The refurbishment or decommissioning and removal of existing equipment might also be included The contract must name the person responsible for approvals and certifications for the job and must clearly set out warranty terms to allow a proper contract comparison Most EES heat pump units are covered by a one year warranty on parts and labour and a five year warranty on the compressor Make sure that the contractor fills out signs and gives you two copies of the Installation Checklist included in the Appendix on page 32 Finally make sure that the
64. ome areas 19 or 25 mm pipe in others After the pipe has been placed in the borehole it is filled with clay grout Some contractors add sand finely crushed stone or cement to the grout This is to ensure good contact with the soil and prevent surface water from contaminating the ground water CSA standards specify that the borehole around the pipe is to be filled by means of a tremie line or a pipe inserted to the bottom of the borehole and retracted as it is filled with grout This process is designed to eliminate air pockets around the pipe and ensure good contact with the soil The main advantage of a vertical loop is that it can be installed in a much smaller area than a horizontal loop Four boreholes drilled in an area of 9 m which fits easily into an average city backyard can provide all the renewable energy you need to heat an average 150 m home The cost of installing a vertical loop can vary greatly with soil conditions the single most important factor Drilling into granite requires much heavier more costly equipment and is 6 Hp SSeS b E Vertical ground loops are similar to horizontal loops except that they are placed vertically and use less ground area much more time consuming than drilling into soft clay It is even more time consuming when the soil contains a mix of materials such as layers of boulders gravel and sand The installation of a vertical loop in this type o
65. ors as well as the direction they face Winds and trees which may shade the windows also affect heat loss To measure accurately how tightly the home is sealed some contractors will perform a blower door test The contractor should give you a copy of the heat loss calculation The CSA requires an EES to have the heating capacity to supply at least 90 percent of the total heat required in your home annually Auxiliary heat usually electric elements installed inside the heat pump or in the ductwork can supply the rest of the heat Factors that influence the heating capacity you need for your home include the number of occupants the appliances and lighting the solar gain through the windows the quality of the construction and the climate Why does the CSA recommend an EES capacity of 90 percent not including auxiliary heat Because it takes all heat sources in your home into account The lights in your home give off heat So do your stove fridge television computer and freezer The sun shining through the windows helps heat your home Finally the people and pets in it create a significant amount of heat as well A heat loss calculation does not take this so called internal heat gain into account That is why an EES that produces 90 percent of the calculated heat loss of your home will normally provide all of the heat your family needs And it will cost a bit less An auxiliary heater provides additio
66. r a blower motor and a circulating pump A reversing valve enables it to switch functions to provide both air conditioning and heat to a home It may be either console type or water water Heat recovery ventilator HRV a heat exchanger designed to recover heat from air being exhausted from the home and transfer it to fresh air being supplied to the home Typically 60 75 percent of the heat from the exhaust air is recovered and transferred to the fresh air supply also see Air to air heat exchanger Size sizing Heat sink an area where a heat pump transfers the heat it takes from a heat source In an EES the soil is a heat source when a home is being heated and a heat sink when a home is being cooled High density polyethylene a long lasting synthetic material used as a ground heat exchanger piping material Horizontal loop see Loop Hot spot the area in a home where the high temperatures produced by a conventional system furnace make the air significantly warmer than the surrounding air in the home usually near a warm air register Hot water heating system conventional see Conventional system Humidifier Bypass Non bypass a bypass humidifier circulates warmed air from the supply air of a heating system and circulates it through a dampened material back to the return air of a forced air heating system A non bypass humidifier injects a mist of water or steam directly into the heated a
67. r backhoe drill rig or other equipment needed to install the EES the work should be done so as to cause as little disturbance as possible to existing pavements walkways easements and other rights of access Pipe locations should be drawn on a site plan to reduce the risk of damage in the future The loop should not cross other underground services gas lines water mains sewers buried telephone and electrical lines also you should make sure they are protected from damage and freezing both during installation and after All installation should meet the CSA standards System Design for a New Home Heat Pump Selection How much heat does your home lose Calculating its heat loss is the foundation on which your EES design is built The care taken in the construction of your home determines how much heat escapes through the cracks around its windows and doors and how well its insulation is installed The direction your windows face determines how much solar energy they let Systems for a New Home A backhoe is used to dig a horizontal trench for laying a ground loop into the house The heat loss calculation therefore determines the size of EES you need Your contractor s heat loss calculations should be based on the CSA standards for EES installation The contractor will need a set of plans with the dimensions and construction of the walls ceiling and floors and the size and types of windows and do
68. r resident of Shadow Ridge Estates Adds Mr Gallant another homeowner I really like the fact that there s no big noisy air conditioning unit outside my house This is just part of the furnace The EESs at Shadow Ridge have other uses Some homes use them for radiant floor heating heating tubes in laneways to melt snow in the winter hot water for outside hot tubs and energy to heat hot water The cost savings are also quite substantial A 185 8 m2 2000 sq ft home built above R 2000 standards at Shadow Ridge Estates had an air conditioning cost of less than 50 for the whole cooling season and a heating cost of less than 300 for the entire winter refrigeration lines Air source heat pumps are subject to even more stresses than air conditioning units because they are expected to operate year round The heat exchangers of fossil fuel furnaces are subjected to temperature extremes when they operate They eventually crack from the expansion and contraction of the metal The conditions under which an EES operates are much less severe The temperatures of the heat source and heat sink the loop are lower and more constant than those in a conventional air conditioner or air source heat pump The temperatures in the heat pump are certainly less extreme than the flames of a fossil fuel furnace This puts less stress on the equipment and so results in less maintenance The loop itself is subject only to th
69. r systems open loop can both heat and cool your home depending on your needs time additionally water with a high mineral content can cause scale buildup Most manufacturers can supply heat pumps made out of resistant materials like cupro nickel or stainless steel that are more suitable for use in open loop systems Manufacturers will specify the quality of water that is acceptable for their equipment Again you may need to have your water tested to ensure it falls within the guidelines The department that regulates the water resources in your province may be able to advise you on where the water can be tested Mechanical equipment lasts longer if it does not have to start and stop repeatedly Well pumps are no exception The contractor installing the well pump and pressure system must be told that it will be used to supply water for an EES For efficient operation the pump design and horsepower must be chosen to supply the correct amount of water Bigger is not better The water require ments for the system the height the water is lifted from the well and the piping from the well to the house and to the return well must be taken into account To prevent the well pump from short cycling you may need to install a larger pressure tank These details can affect the overall efficiency of your EES by as much as 25 30 percent The temperature of ground water is very constant ranging between 5 and 12 C across C
70. rganization formed by contractors manufacturers and designers of EESs to promote the proper design and installation of systems in Canada Earth Energy System EES a system designed to transfer heat to and or from the soil and a building consisting of a heat pump that is connected to a closed or open loop and a forced air or hydronic heat distribution system Easement also Right of way the legal right to enter or cross another person s property for the purpose of access usually by a utility like a hydro provider or pipeline EES see Earth Energy System Electrical heating air conditioning system Conventional see Conventional system Emissions toxic particles produced by the burning of fossil fuels like oil natural gas propane and coal eliminated by the installation of an EES also see Combustion products of Greenhouse gases CO CO SO NO Global warming Energy Efficiency Ratio EER a measure of the cooling or air conditioning efficiency of an appliance calculated by dividing the cooling output in Btu h by the energy input in watts Expansion tank container connected to a liquid filled system such as an earth loop or a radiant floor heat system that allows for expansion and contraction of the fluid with changes in temperature Fan coil unit water to air heat exchanger combined with a fan designed to heat or cool air by using hot or chilled water as a source Flexib
71. rnace with pilot light 0 65 Newer gas furnace with pilot light before 1995 0 76 r3 Mid efficiency gas furnace 0 83 gt High efficiency gas furnace 0 93 Divide Line 10 or Line 11 by Line 12 13 14 or 15 to calculate the cost per kWh Add Basic Utility Charge Multiply Line 1 2 or 3 by Line 16 to determine the total cost of heating your home using Natural Gas Multiply Line 6 by Line 16 to determine the cost of heating water for your household using Natural Gas Cost of Heat and Hot Water Using Propane or Oil Ask your fuel supplier for the cost of propane or oil per litre and if there is a separate delivery or tank rental charge Enter in Column A A B c Propane cost per litre 0 53 6 97 BU 0 076 Oil cost per litre 10 69 E Enter the COP of ONE of the gas furnaces shown in Column B in Column C B C Old gas furnace with pilot light 0 65 22 Newer propane or oil furnace with pilot light before 1995 0 76 23 Mid efficiency propane or oil furnace 0 83 24 High efficiency propane or oil furnace 0 93 ped 25 0 93 Divide Line 20 or Line 21 by Line 22 23 24 or 25 to calculate the cost per kWh 26 0 082 Add Fuel Delivery Charge 27 120 27 120 Multiply Line 1 2 or 3 by Line 26 to determine the total cost of heating your home using Propane or Oil 28 2 030 28 2 030 Multiply Li
72. s the wall dimensions window sizes and types insulation values and other features for each level provides enough information to calculate the heat loss Since the wind affects heat loss and trees may affect the cooling loads if they shade the windows information about wind patterns and trees on the property is helpful Some contractors will also perform a blower door test The contractor should provide a copy of the heat loss calculation to you To double check the calculated heat loss of the home some contractors will ask for the energy consumption in your home for an entire year If the insulation has not been upgraded recently or you have built additions the annual energy consumption figures can be used to estimate the heat loss of the home In an existing home with a ductwork system there is an additional reason to install a system that provides less heat than the calculated heat loss Older fossil fuel furnaces or electric furnaces were designed to circulate less air than an EES It may be difficult or impossible to upgrade the ductwork to the larger volume capacity required by an EES without creating unnecessary air noise Remember 26 when you are designing an EES for your home bigger is not necessarily better Many of the principles that apply to the system design of an EES for a new home such as COP COP ratings for closed and open loop systems and heat load calculations also apply to existin
73. s often possible to install a system in an existing home without upgrading the electrical service you must verify that this is the case If you are replacing an electric heating system your existing electric panel will probably be adequate If you are replacing a fossil fuel furnace however you may well need to upgrade your service to Systems for an Existing Home accommodate an EES especially if you include an electric auxiliary heater in the system Most electric or fossil fuel furnaces designed for residential use in the past were intended to raise the temperature of the air circulating through them by 20 30 C This was done to reduce the airflow needed to deliver heat to your home and minimize the ductwork size and cost Heat pumps in an EES typically are designed to raise the air temperature by only about 10 15 C Because of this you have to move more air through your ducts if your new EES is to deliver the same amount of heat to your home Your contractor may recommend changing some of the ductwork in an existing home to accommodate the greater air flow you need This will make the system more efficient and reduce potential air noise problems The contractor also should recommend lining the supply air and return air plenums with acoustic insulation and installing flexible connections in the plenums connecting the heat pump to the ductwork system Site Services As noted above you must do a thorough ch
74. s they deteriorate over a longer term is ignored in this calculation A more accurate method is the cash flow analysis which includes the cost of purchasing the system and the energy cost or the life cycle cost analysis which adds the cost of replacing the equipment over the longer term Size sizing calculating the capacity of the heating and cooling system required on the basis of an accurate heat loss and heat gain analysis of the home also see Oversized Oversizing Slab on grade floor a common name for a concrete floor of a building that is poured at ground level or at grade Thermostat a switch that turns a heating and air conditioning system on or off according to the temperature of the space where it is located also see Programmable thermostat Tracing wire tracing tape metal wire or foil backed tape placed in a trench above the buried pipe of an EES loop to make it easier to find it in the future and to avoid damage during future excavation Tremie line used in the installation of a vertical loop a pipe inserted to the bottom of the borehole through which grout is piped down and retracted as the hole fills CSA requirement designed to eliminate air pockets and ensure good contact with the soil also see Grout Grouting Vertical loop see Loop Water coil see Coil Water heating air condition ing systems Conventional see Conventional systems Water water heat pump a heat
75. t to and from the earth Horizontal pipes that are buried on a plane parallel to the ground Lake also Ocean Pond sealed pipes arranged in loops and submerged in a lake ocean or pond through which a refrigerant passes to absorb or release heat from or into the water Vertical pipes that are buried on a plane at 90 degrees to the ground Low grade heat a source of heat that is not hot enough to heat a living space by itself Non bypass Bypass humidifier see Humidifier Non CFC refrigerant see CFC Refrigerant Ocean loop see Loop Open loop see Loop Outdoor reset control see Reset control outdoor Oversizing oversized selecting a heating or cooling system that is too large for a home Such a system will run for only a short period of time before the temper ature of the home is satisfied and not operate as efficiently as a system that is sized accurately as most systems take several minutes to reach peak operating efficiency also see Size sizing Payback simple see Simple payback PEX tubing cross linked polyethylene pipes designed to withstand temperatures greater than HDPE pipe used for in floor also known as radiant floor heating systems domestic water piping systems and other types Plenum an enclosed space into which the air from forced air heating or cooling equipment is blown directly The main distribution ducts are connected to the plenum to distrib
76. tch from heating to air conditioning automatically You will find that on days in the spring and fall when you need heat in the morning and cooling in the afternoon you are more comfortable 10 Operating Cost As noted earlier more than two thirds of the energy supplied by an EES is renewable energy taken from the ground The other third comes from the electricity used to power the system You only pay for the electricity you use to operate your system The other two thirds is free How does the cost of heating your home with an EES compare to the cost of heating it with other fuel options That depends on the cost of the fuel and on how efficiently your furnace uses it As a fossil fuel furnace sends the products of combustion CO CO SO NO etc up the chimney some heat leaves the house as well Older furnaces with pilot lights burn some gas continuously even when your home does not need heating If you are using an old gas or oil furnace you can be venting as much as 35 to 40 percent of the fuel you have purchased up the chimney If the furnace is greatly oversized it may waste even more energy because by the time it reaches operating efficiency it has already satisfied the thermostat and shuts off Electric furnaces and electric baseboard heaters do not require a chimney All the energy they generate stays in your home even if the electric motor distributing air through your home is not very
77. ter the air in your home as it circulates through the system Warm water heats radiant Heat pump exchanges heat from water Fluid or liquid from ground loop In floor hydronic systems are primarily used for heating An EES is designed to raise the heat of the air flowing through the heat pump by between 10 and 15 C fossil fuel or electric furnaces are designed to raise it by 20 to 30 C That difference means an EES must move more air through the home to distribute the same amount of heat as a conventional furnace So to design an efficient quiet forced air EES the contractor designing the ductwork must take into account the larger amount of air to be moved The ductwork should also have acoustic insulation installed inside the plenum and the first few metres of duct as well as a flexible connection between the heat pump and the main duct to ensure quiet operation Hydronic Hot Water Heating Systems As we said earlier a heat pump can heat either air or water The latter type distributes the heat by means of a hydronic or hot water heating system If you choose it for your home keep in mind that currently available heat pumps can heat water to no more than about 50 C This limits your choices for equipment to distribute the heat to your home Hot water baseboard radiators are designed to operate with water heated to at least 65 to 70 C they are less effective when the water is not as warm As a
78. ting and cooling system compares their operating costs and lists important steps you should take when servicing your system You will also need to read certain parts of Section 2 that apply to your situation Section 4 is important for all readers those buying or building a new home as well as those retrofitting or renovating an existing home It provides guidance on selecting a contractor and what needs to be covered in a basic contract It also covers service and maintenance as well as basic troubleshooting Section 5 provides additional sources of information The Guide ends with a glossary of terms used in the earth energy industry given in italics throughout the Guide except for captions like this ground water and an appendix called Installation Checklist Give this checklist to your contractor who should fill it out sign it and return two copies to you A table of conversion factors and a reader s survey complete this guide The industry also uses other terms to describe Earth Energy Systems they include ground and water source heat pumps GeoExchange and geothermal heat pumps 1 Introduction to Earth Energy Systems What is Earth Energy The sun has always provided heat for the earth Its energy warms the earth directly but also indirectly Its heat evaporates water from the lakes and streams which eventually falls back to earth and filters into the ground A few metres of s
79. ting an HRV This device adds fresh air to the home but preheats it with an air to air heat exchanger that transfers heat from an equivalent flow of air leaving the home Thus the air balance in your home is maintained while you recover some 60 80 percent of the heat energy that would otherwise be expelled from your home The installation of an HRV will increase the energy consumption of your home if it has no fresh air system at all because even 27 though the air is preheated by the expelled air the HRV cannot recover all of the heat When compared to a fresh air system with no heat recovery however an HRV saves you energy costs and reduces the load on your heat pump The device can be integrated into your existing forced air system or added as a separate system to your home Controls See pages 19 20 for a discussion on controls for an EES in a new home The same controls apply to an existing home with some differences in the way you control the humidity If you are changing to an EES from a gas or oil furnace you will be less likely to need a humidifier as the dry outside air being drawn in to meet the combustion demands of the furnace will no longer be a problem If you plan to install an HRV the amount of dry outside air entering the home increases and a humidifier may become necessary If you are installing an EES and planning to use your existing forced air distribution system it would be b
80. tions can hold and transmit greater quantities of water and so provide a useful energy source for an EES also see Ground water Auxiliary heat heater a secondary heat supply used to supplement the main source of heat In a residential system electric heating elements are most often used to supplement the heat supplied by an EES Most heat pump manufacturers can install the auxiliary heat inside of the heat pump cabinet Backhoe mechanized heavy self propelled digging implement to excavate earth during the installation of an EES loop Blower motor an electric motor used to turn the fan to 34 move air through the ductwork in a heating and cooling system Blower door test a method to measure how tightly a home is sealed by increasing the air pressure inside a home in relation to the outside Borehole a vertical hole drilled in the earth to insert pipe to transfer heat from the soil Btu h British thermal units Btu per hour One Btu is the amount of heat needed to raise by 1 F 0 56 C the temperature of one pound 0 45 kg of water at 39 F 3 9 C Bypass Non bypass humidifier see Humidifier Canadian Standards Association International CSA a Canadian organization that sets standards for safety energy performance and procedures including those for the installation of an EES Cash flow analysis a study of the economics of owning an EES that takes into account the cost of purchasi
81. urface soil insulate the earth and ground water below The warm earth and ground water below the surface provide a free renewable source of energy for as long as the sun continues to shine The earth under an average suburban residential lot can easily provide enough free energy to heat and cool the home built on it The free energy has only to be moved from the ground into your home This is done by drawing ground water directly from a well and using a heat pump to extract heat from it As well a circuit of underground piping called a loop can be buried in the soil outside the home through which fluid water or antifreeze is pumped The fluid called the heat transfer fluid absorbs the heat in the ground water or soil and transfers it to the heat pump The heat absorbed by the fluid from the solar heated ground is extracted from it by the heat pump and the now chilled fluid is circulated through a heat exchanger over and over again to extract more heat from the earth If your home is located near a suitable pond or lake you can use an Earth Energy System EES to draw on this excellent source of free energy Burying a loop in the ground around your home is like owning your own oil well but instead of pumping oil from an underground pool and burning it to create heat and greenhouse gases you tap into clean energy that will be there for as long as there is a sun A well designed ground loop wi
82. ute the air throughout the home Pond loop see Loop Pressure tank part of a well pump used to prevent short cycling Products of combustion see Combustion products of Programmable thermostat a device that controls the heat pump of an EES which can be set electronically to perform various tasks also see Thermostat Property setbacks areas usually along a property line set aside by municipal or provincial legislation for common services like sidewalks Pump test in an open loop system a verification that primary and return wells can provide the volume of water necessary to operate an EES efficiently Radiant floor heating systems see Floor heating systems Refrigerant a fluid used in a heat pump designed to condense and vapourize at specific temperatures and pressures to enable the transfer of heat energy between two heat exchangers also see CFC Reset control outdoor a control used primarily with 37 radiant floor heating systems that is designed to raise and lower the temperature of the water being circulated through the system according to the outdoor temperature During colder weather hotter water is circulated through the floor to convey more heat to the space As the outdoor temperature increases less heat is needed and the temperature of the water circulated through the floor can be decreased This strategy permits continuous operation of the heating system and increases
83. ww nrcan gc ca es etb We have free software to assist you Renewable energy technologies such as an EES can be a smart investment RETScreen International has just made it easier RETScreen International is a standardized renewable energy project analysis software that will help you determine whether an EES is a good investment for you The software uses Microsoft Excel spreadsheets as well as a comprehensive user manual and supporting databases to help your evaluation The RETScreen International software and user manual can be downloaded free of charge from the Web site at http retscreen gc ca You may also contact Natural Resources Canada NRCan by phone at 450 652 4621 or by fax at 450 652 5177 To order additional copies of this publication and other publications on renewable energy and energy efficiency please call our toll free line at 1 800 387 2000 You can also get a copy of this publication by visiting the Canadian Renewable Energy Network CanREN Web site at http www canren gc ca 31 Appendix Installation Checklist Two copies are to be provided to owner Owner s Name Date Address City Province Postal Code Phone Contractor s Name Date Address City Province Postal Code Phone System Type Open Loop Closed Loop House Size Design Heat Load Building Design Method Design Cooling Load Method Domestic Hot Water Load met b
84. y system Total Heating Load Type of Distribution System Forced Air Hydronic Heat Pump Make Model Serial No Heating Capacity Cooling Capacity Entering Water Temperatures EWT check as appropriate Heating EWT 0 C IR C Ref CSA Standard C13256 1 Cooling EWTT 12396 10 C If a Closed Loop System Heat Exchanger Length if Horizontal Heat Exchanger Type if Horizontal Single Pipe Two Pipe Four Pipe Other Borehole Depth and Number if Vertical Heat Exchanger Sized According to Manufacturer Software Engineering Specifications If Software Used Name Program Backfill Materials Horizontal Trenches Borehole Fill Material If Vertical Type Of Antifreeze Inhibitors Quantity Antifreeze Protection Level Loop Test Pressure System Static Pressure If an Open Loop System Attach copy of the water well record or well pump test and include the number of and specifications of wells intake and pumps Markings Instructions If a Closed Loop System Supply and return valves marked accordingly Submerged heat exchanger position marked at shoreline Label at loop charging valve showing antifreeze type concentration contractor information Owner given manufacturer documentation and warranty on system Owner given site survey
85. ying area of the property The trench can be from 1 to 3 m wide Four or even six pipes can be laid at the bottom of a wide trench while some loop designs allow two layers of pipe to be stacked in a trench at different levels Loop configurations may even use a slinky or coiled configuration that concentrates additional pipe in a trench Many different configurations have been tested and approved Make sure you ask your contractor for references Contractors can often show you photographs of loops they have installed The area you need to install a horizontal loop depends on the heating and cooling loads of your home the depth at which the loop is to be buried the soil and how much moisture it contains the climate the efficiency of the heat pump and the configuration of the loop The average 150 m home needs an area of between 300 and 700 m2 Your contractor will use computer software or loop design guidelines provided by the heat pump manufacturer to determine the size and configuration of your earth loop Vertical Loops Vertical loops are made out of HDPE pipe which is inserted into holes drilled in the soil Typically these boreholes are 15 100 m deep and 10 12 cm around Two lengths of pipe are fused into a U bend two 90 elbows and inserted into the borehole The size of pipe used for the Joop varies depending on the cost of drilling and the depth of the borehole 32 mm pipe is common in s

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