New Geothermal Heat Pumps Now Eligible for Energy Star

Geothermal energy is a hot topic these days as the U.S. seeks sources of clean, renewable energy. The media tends to focus on the exciting new technologies that power companies can use to tap underground pockets of thermal energy.

However, there have been a number of advances in the geothermal technology that can be used by homes and other buildings: geothermal heat pumps.

Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new criteria for residential geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) that will allow water-to-water pumps to earn the Energy Star label for the first time. The GHPs that meet the new standards will be up to 45 percent more efficient than conventional pumps.

Geothermal heat pumps use ground temperature air instead of outside air to provide heating, cooling and often water heating. GHPs can be installed in new and existing homes. Because they use the constant temperature of the earth, GHPs are among the most efficient heating and cooling technologies currently available in the marketplace. Water-to-water geothermal heat pumps provide heating and cooling and/or water heating to a building using liquid rather than forced air.

The EPA worked with industry stakeholders to revise the requirements in response to growing consumer demand for water-to-water geothermal heat pumps. The new requirements are comparable to existing efficiency and performance requirements for water-to-air and direct geoexchange GHP models.

The new specifications give water-to-water GHPs immediate eligibility to qualify for the label. As of December 1, 2009 homeowners who install geothermal heat pumps with the Energy Star label are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit.

As technology improves, the EPA needs to set more stringent efficiency requirements so that Energy Star will always represent the top performers in each category. New requirements for water-to-air and direct geoexchange GHP models will take effect on January 1, 2011. Even more stringent levels will go into effect for water-to-water and water-to-air models on January 1, 2012.

Image courtesy of Scott Temperature Equipment