Speaker: Steve Kavanaugh of the University of Alabama/Energy Information Service

Topic: GSHP Cost Containment: Low Hanging Fruit Not in the Ground Loop- For four decades the mantra of ground source heat pump (GSHP) advocates has been, “we need to get the cost of the loop down’”. This has proved largely ineffective due to three primary reasons:

1. Installing quality ground loops is extremely difficult work that requires significant investment in equipment and employees (who are difficult to find due salaries, working conditions, and frequent travel).
2. The primary resistance to heat flow to and from the ground is the ground itself. High technology tubing arrangements, super grouts, and flow turbulators will reduce total length far less than predicted.
3. Surveys conducted between 1995 and 2012 indicate the HVAC cost of GSHPs increased 11% per year and was 74% of the system costs while the ground loop costs rose 3% per year and was 26% of total cost in 2012.This presentation will provide examples of actual itemized GSHP costs and resulting performance data that indicate simplifying HVAC systems reduce costs, improve performance, expand the market and thus attract more quality ground loop contractors.

You can register fro the event here.