Geothermal Systems Installation

Open Loop (also known as "groundwater heat pump")

In an open loop system, the secondary loop pumps natural water from a well or body of water into a heat exchanger inside the heat pump. Heat is either extracted or added by the primary refrigerant loop, and the water is returned to a seperate injection well, irrigation trench, tile field or body of water.

 

Closed Loop

Most installed systems have two loops on the ground side: the primary refrigerant loop is contained in the appliance cabinet where it exchanges heat with a secondary water loop that is buried underground. The secondary loop is typically made of High-density polyethylene pipe and contains a mixture of water and anti-freeze (propylene glycol, denatured alcohol or methanol). After leaving the internal heat exchanger, the water flows through the secondary loop outside the building to exchange heat with the ground before returning. The secondary loop is placed below the frost line where the temperature is more stable, or preferably submerged in a body of water if available. Systems in wet ground or in water are generally more efficient than drier ground loops since it is less work to move heat in and out of water than solids in sand or soil. If the ground is naturally dry, soaker hoses may be buried with the ground loop to keep it wet.

 

Vertical Closed Loop

A vertical closed loop field is composed of pipes that run vertically in the ground. A hole is bored in the ground, typically 75 to 500 feet (23–150 m) deep. Pipe pairs in the hole are joined with a U-shaped cross connector at the bottom of the hole. The borehole is commonly filled with a bentonite grout surrounding the pipe to provide a thermal connection to the surrounding soil or rock to improve the heat transfer. Thermally enhanced grouts are available to improve this heat transfer. Grout also protects the ground water from contamination, and prevents artesian wells from flooding the property. Vertical loop fields are typically used when there is a limited area of land available

 

Horizontal Closed Loop

A horizontal closed loop field is composed of pipes that run horizontally in the ground. A long horizontal trench, deeper than the frost line, is dug and U-shaped or slinky coils are placed horizontally inside the same trench. Excavation for horizontal loop fields is about half the cost of vertical drilling, so this is the most common layout used wherever there is adequate land available.

 

Closed Pond Loop

A pond loop may be advantageous where poor water quality precludes an open loop, or where the system heat load is small. A pond loop consists of coils of pipe attached to a frame and located at the bottom of an appropriately sized pond or water source.

 

Geothermal Heating & Cooling Engineering / Design

GSI provides professional engineering services for the design of earth heat exchangers (well fields, ground loops, etc.) to both the dealer/installer and the design professional. Our design assist services provide our geoindustry clients the resources and expertises required to design and construct all aspects of the ground loop system.

 

Radiant Heating

Radiant heating is a technology for heating indoor and outdoor areas. Radiant heating heats a building through radiant energy being emitted from a heat source, rather than other conventional methods including convection heating. The internal air temperature for radiant heated buildings may be lower than for a conventionally heated building to achieve the same level of body comfort, when adjusted so the perceived temperature is actually the same.

In the case of heating outdoor areas, outdoor radiant heaters allow specific spaces within an outdoor area to be targeted, fully warming all of the people and objects in their path.

Radiant heating can also be used for snow melting and for roof and gutter de-icing applications.For roof de-icing, heating elements can be placed on the surface of the roofing material and some technologies can be placed underneath the roofing materials. Heating elements are used in gutters and downspouts to prevent ice buildup that can cause ice dams and icicles. Radiant heating is also used on roofs to eliminate heavy snow loads that can cause structural damage.

 

Home Automation by Uponor Systems®

The Climate Cŏntrol™ Network System is Uponor's integrated hardware and software package that connects all of a structure's heating, ventilation, humidification, air conditioning, domestic hot water and radiant components to a single system for better energy-efficiency, monitoring and control.

 

Energy Audits

We offer professional Energy Audits for both Residential and Commercial Properties. Each audit is conducted with a unique grouping of various strategies from recording specific characteristics of the building envelope to individualizing based on local climate criteria and solar orientation. Utilizing the latest in infrared thermography equipment. Our audits also cover a detailed review of your billing history as a part of our service, this gives us critical usage information allowing us to better formulate a strategy that would work for you. This is especially critical where large amounts of energy consumers may reside as their usage may vary from the average norm. Our typical process comprehensively covers the ASHRAE guidelines.

Energy modeling

Custom generated computer based models of the energy performance of an entire building or the systems within a building. This whole-building modeling provides valuable information about the building and system energy use as well as operating costs.
Whole-building simulation is typically performed for an entire year using typical meteorological year weather data. An important aspect of whole-building modeling is that it accounts for the interaction between different elements of the building, such as the impact of lighting on space conditioning loads or the impact of daylighting on electrical lighting loads. The impact of different building uses and occupancy patterns is also accounted for.

Spray Foam Insulation

Energy efficient solution that is achieved through the application of spray foam systems that contribute to healthier environments, the reduction of energy consumption, and sustainable buildings. Spray foam insulation is a cost effective measure that will reduce your wasted energy and allow you to maintain far superior living and working conditions.