One of the highest operating expenses for a commercial or government building is the heating and cooling utility costs. One of the best ways to address this is by upgrading to geothermal heating and cooling.
Geothermal heating and cooling systems are the highest efficiency option available and are 45% higher efficiency than air source heat pumps, according to the Department of Energy. Geothermal can be one of the lowest cost options for commercial buildings, even for retrofits. Commercial customers can get up to 50% of the cost covered by federal tax credits, and non-tax paying entities like municipal buildings or non-profits can receive the benefits as a direct repayment. In many states, local rebates can also be a significant benefit and for-profit buildings can use accelerated depreciation to further reduce the net cost.
Geothermal heat pumps can also improve the quality of an existing heating and cooling system. For smaller commercial buildings (under 50,000 sq ft), geothermal heat pumps can come with their own control packages that will eliminate the need for a third party Building Management System (BMS). For instance, Energy Catalyst’s Gen IV heat pump has integrated zone controls and each unit can serve up to 6 zones with individualized temperature, humidity and ventilation control. This system is being used in places like middle schools to precisely match ventilation requirements to the occupied classrooms and in BnBs to allow each room to have its own temperature control. Such precision may have required major retrofitting to a building, as well as expensive and often complicated BMS controls, but these can be eliminated by the standard features of a premium geothermal heat pump with integrated controls and pre-designed zoning capabilities.
Geothermal systems need ground heat exchangers, which are typically closed-loop and drilled vertically. Due to the parking requirements in most parts of the US (i.e. the large parking lots outside many commercial locations), most commercial buildings have more than enough land for geothermal and the heat exchangers can be placed under the parking lot (ideally prior to the construction phase). New technologies have emerged that can reduce the amount of drilling required, such as the Twister geothermal heat exchanger, which reduces borehole depth by using 8 smaller pipes per hole.
Before starting a geothermal project, it is always recommended to speak with a certified expert. At Energy Catalyst, we want to help make your geothermal project a reality, contact us today!
