GEOptimize
  • HOME
  • About
  • Training
    • CGD Courses Online
    • CGD Courses in your Office
    • CGD at IGSHPA
    • Register
  • Services
    • Feasibility
    • Residential
    • Geo Forensics
    • Peer Review
    • Design Assistance
    • GCHP & GHX design
    • Manage your GHX
  • Products
    • Ground Loop Design >
      • GLD quote
    • GeoCube
  • Projects
    • Agriculture
    • Commercial >
      • Steinbach Credit Union
      • Walkerton CWC
      • 2211 West 4th
    • District Systems >
      • Gibsons, BC
      • Seasons of Tuxedo
      • Miami, MB
    • Institutional >
      • Prairie Dale School
      • St. Pierre Church
      • College Universitaire St. Boniface
    • Multi-family Residential >
      • Bethany Manor
      • YWCA Elm Centre
    • Recreational >
      • Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre
    • Retail >
      • Neechi Commons
      • IKEA, Centennial, CO
  • Blog
  • HOME
  • About
  • Training
    • CGD Courses Online
    • CGD Courses in your Office
    • CGD at IGSHPA
    • Register
  • Services
    • Feasibility
    • Residential
    • Geo Forensics
    • Peer Review
    • Design Assistance
    • GCHP & GHX design
    • Manage your GHX
  • Products
    • Ground Loop Design >
      • GLD quote
    • GeoCube
  • Projects
    • Agriculture
    • Commercial >
      • Steinbach Credit Union
      • Walkerton CWC
      • 2211 West 4th
    • District Systems >
      • Gibsons, BC
      • Seasons of Tuxedo
      • Miami, MB
    • Institutional >
      • Prairie Dale School
      • St. Pierre Church
      • College Universitaire St. Boniface
    • Multi-family Residential >
      • Bethany Manor
      • YWCA Elm Centre
    • Recreational >
      • Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre
    • Retail >
      • Neechi Commons
      • IKEA, Centennial, CO
  • Blog
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

8/19/2013

Who's responsible for the GHX design?

If you've been involved in the GCHP industry you've undoubtedly seen projects issued for tender where the "drilling contractor shall provide sealed engineered drawings for the ground heat exchanger (GHX) that provides the 80 tons (280 kW) of cooling capacity", or a drawing that says "GHX boreholes to be located in the area indicated and to provide 480 kBtu/hr (140 kW) of heating capacity". It's very obvious the designer does not have any idea of the design of a GCHP system and is trying to pass on the responsibility for the design to someone else. As a mechanical system designer it's dangerous to leave the design of the GHX to someone without providing the detailed information they need to know. 
A GHX is an integral part of the building and mechanical systems, and cannot be optimized without a good understanding of how much energy must be transferred to and from the ground. Ideally, the GHX designer will work with the building owner, architect and the rest of the design team to first reduce the loads, and secondly to balance the energy loads to and from the GHX. The GHX designer should also work closely with the mechanical system designer to ensure the distribution system is optimized to work with a heat pump system (water temperatures, air flows, etc.). It may also be advantageous to consider integrating energy storage into the mechanical system, take advantage of excess heat from large cooling loads to produce domestic hot water, melt snow, or other possible use of the energy. 

If the building loads cannot be balanced, it may be advantageous to take advantage of hybrid options (closed circuit cooling tower, auxiliary heat source, etc.) to reduce the size and cost of the GHX and ensure the long term viability of the system. 

The point is, the design of the GHX cannot be done in isolation of the building, simply by saying the GHX must provide 80 tons (280 kW) of cooling capacity or that it must provide 480 kBtu/hr (140 kW) of heating capacity, and then rely on a drilling contractor or mechanical contractor to use whatever rules of thumb they would use to design the GHX. It is the responsibility of the system designer to understand and design the GHX. 

Comments are closed.


    Ed Lohrenz

    In my blog I'll be expressing my opinions about what I've the learned about ground coupled heat pump (GCHP) systems over the last 30 years. I've been very fortunate to work with many interesting people who are passionate about this technology...engineers, geologists, mechanical contractors, drillers, excavation contractors...in different parts of the world. I've learned a lot from them and will be using this forum to pass on some of the things I've learned and feel are important. Please feel free to use this information if you feel it's worthwhile...hopefully you can avoid some of the same mistakes I've learned from.

    Archives

    September 2021
    November 2016
    January 2016
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013




    Categories

    All Building Design Energy Storage Energy Supply Energy Use Ground Heat Exchangers Incentives Industry Events Interesting Systems Monitoring Your System Product Info Standards System Design Training Workshops Waste Heat Recovery

    RSS Feed



HOME
ABOUT







Privacy Policy 
TRAINING
      CGD Courses Online

      CGD Custom Courses
      CGD at IGSHPA

SERVICES
  Feasibility
  Geo Forensics
  Peer Review
  Design Assistance
  GCHP & GHX Design
  Manage your GHX
PROJECTS
   Agriculture
   Commercial
   District Systems
   Health Care
   Industrial
   Institutional
   Multi-family Residential
   Recreational
   Retail
BLOG

GEOptimize Inc.                 220 Portage Avenue, unit 1410, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 0A5, Canada               +1  204-318-2156