Types of Loop Systems for GSHPS

GSHPS

• GSHPS used the energy of the Sun, which is absorbed into the surface of the Earth to provide heating, cooling and hot water for commercial and residential buildings. At distances below the surface of the Earth, the temperature of the soil remains a constant temperature and is not dependent on the climate of the region. In northerly latitudes of the U.S. the temperature of soil at the surface of the Earth remains around 45F, with southern latitudes of the U.S. maintaining a constant temperature of 70F, Minnesota Power reports. Fluids are pushed through coiled pipes to be heated by temperatures beneath the Earth's surface. The heated fluids pass into the building where the heat is used to warm air that is pumped around the building through ductwork.

Closed

• A closed loop system for GSHPS uses a series of sealed pipes that contain an anti-freeze liquid that passes through the system constantly without exiting the system. Within the building, the fluid passes through a heat pump that concentrates the heat energy absorbed from the Earth by the fluid. The heat pump transfers this heat to air that is circulated through the building. During the warmer months of the year, the process is reversed to remove heat from the building by transferring it into the fluids within the closed loop system.

Open

• An open loop GSHPS operates on the same principles as the closed loop system. The difference between the two systems is that the open loop system must have access to an adequate supply of water to be heated beneath the surface of the Earth. A pond/lake installation provides the water supplies for an open loop system that is drawn into the piping to be heated.

Installation

• Loop systems using a horizontal piping system require a large surface area to be used for the installation of large amounts of coiled piping. Trenches are dug to a depth required due to climate and soil type, an average depth is between seven and eight feet, according to Minnesota Power. Vertical installations are installed into bore holes positioned at least 10 feet apart, each bore hole is drilled to between 150 and 200 feet in depth.