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Edward F. Wahl, PhD, PE
GTHP should be of interest throughout the entire geographical United States, but economics will vary with the local. It is of interest in western United States where there are geothermal deposits. but increasing use of near surface thermal sources/sinks due possibly to government subsidies should be of interest in the eastern US also. It should be designed site specific. that is mountain regions would be different than flat coastal or flat interior regions, and northern would be different than southern.
Details are given of methodologies for long term energy savings utilizing the geologically inactive near-surface geo-structure within about 100 feet of surface where there is no geothermal source by using “GTHP” Ground Source Heat Pump Technology. There are many opportunities for design expertise because it is necessary to optimize for the local conditions. Knowledge of the Earth's Crust physical and chemical properties are necessary for utilization. Optimization depends on geographic location & geo-structure, local climatic conditions, local earth near-surface temperatures and gradients, and distance to local geothermal sources if any. Recall that higher geothermal temperatures will be closer to the surface in mountain building regions. Long term benefits of the application will accrue to the facility owner, and short term benefits will be helped due to government subsidies. Because of the technical complexity of such projects, there should be many opportunities for design expertise and PE judgment will be important in this emerging & capital cost intensive application.
For more information on distribution and characterization of the geological and other structures and data of importance underlying the application of this technology, see PDH course “Geothermal Energy Utilization for Thermal Heating including Geo-inactive Regions”
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
NY PE & PLS: You must choose courses that are technical in nature or related to matters of laws and ethics contributing to the health and welfare of the public. NY Board does not accept courses related to office management, risk management, leadership, marketing, accounting, financial planning, real estate, and basic CAD. Specific course topics that are on the borderline and are not acceptable by the NY Board have been noted under the course description on our website.