Heat pump system assessment for a groundwater‐source municipal drinking water utility

Abstract

Compared to a typical heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a groundwater source heat pump (GSHP) system should have lower operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions, providing economic and environmental advantages for a ground water‐based municipal water utility. This article describes a test of that hypothesis, involving simulations and evaluations of the economic performance of the above two systems for a model office building in five major U.S. climate zones. The cost–benefit analysis suggests that a GSHP system in climate zone 5 (Chicago‐region) has the best return on investment, whereas climate zone 2 (Phoenix‐region) is not economically promising. Relative to a reference HVAC system, the GSHP system has lower carbon emissions in each of the five climate zones, with the greatest reduction of carbon emissions occurring in climate zone 5 (Chicago‐region). Significance: When faced with decisions about hot water supply and space heating and cooling, relative to drinking water utilities that rely on surface waters, groundwater‐based utilities have ready access to groundwater source heat pumps (GSHPs) that should offer better energy efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions. These advantages, however, will depend on regional climate conditions and the course of electrical energy. A better understanding of GSHP performance in different climate zones will provide the information needed to make these decisions. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13047, 2019