Resources
Air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) provide heating and AC by pushing heat into your home in the winter and pulling heat out of your home in the summer. ASHPs are a renewable alternative to traditional fossil-fuel-burning HVAC systems, such as furnaces, boilers, and AC units. ASHPs When a hotter material comes into contact with a colder one, the temperature difference causes heat to move from hot to cold. This principle can be applied to heating and cooling homes with high efficiency using heat pumps.
Auxiliary Heat
AUX Heat refers to a heat pump’s back-up heat source, typically electrical resistance. It activates automatically when the demand for heat is highest, providing supplementary heat to keep your home comfortable. Some heat pumps do not use AUX heat at all, and some include it as an optional add-on when installing the system.
AUX heat turns on if the heat pump cannot quickly and efficiently reach or maintain the temperature on your thermostat.
Closed Loop Geo System
A closed loop geothermal system continuously circulates a mixture of water and non-toxic antifreeze through buried or submerged plastic pipes. These underground pipes connect to an indoor heat pump.
Coefficient of Performance
Coefficient of Performance, or COP, is a measure of efficiency for HVAC systems based on their heating output. Every system requires some form of energy input to run the system, but not every system can make the most of the inputted energy to produce greater output. COP is an objective method to measure and compare different HVAC systems.
DX geothermal is a type of closed loop, ground source heat pump system. To capture the ground’s heat, DX systems circulate refrigerant through copper tubing installed in the ground.
Energy Efficient Ratio
Energy Efficiency Ratio, or EER, is a measure of efficiency for HVAC systems based on their cooling output. Every system requires some form of energy input to run the system, but not every system can make the most of the inputted energy to produce greater output. EER is an objective method to measure and compare different HVAC systems.
Federal Geothermal ITC Tax Credit
The federal geothermal tax credit is an opportunity for homeowners who install a geothermal heat pump system to claim 26% of the amount that they spent from their federal income taxes. The federal tax credit will decrease to 22% in 2023, so the sooner you install geothermal, the higher the tax credit that you can claim.
Geothermal Energy
The prefix “geo” comes from the Greek word meaning “earth”, and the suffix “thermal” comes from the Greek word meaning “heat”. Put together, geothermal energy is simply any energy that is produced via the earth’s heat!
A ground loop is a series of plastic pipes buried or submerged at a depth at which temperatures stay consistent year-round. It serves as the critical link that allows geothermal heat pumps to use the earth as a heat source or heat sink for heating or cooling, respectively.
Ground-Source Heat Pump
A ground-source heat pump (GSHP), also known as a geothermal heat pump, is a renewable and more efficient alternative to the traditional furnace, boiler, or AC unit. A geothermal heat pump sits inside your home and works with geothermal ground loops buried in your yard to draw warmth into your home for heating and push warmth out of your home for cooling.
Heat Exchanger
A heat exchanger is exactly what it sounds like: a device that facilitates the exchange of heat between two gases or liquids of different temperatures. When a hotter material comes into contact with a colder one, the temperature difference causes heat to move from hot to cold.
Heat Pump
Heat naturally wants to move from hot environment to a cold environment. A heat pump is a device that can move heat opposite the direction it naturally wants to move using electricity. When a hotter material comes into contact with a colder one, the temperature difference causes heat to move from hot to cold. This principle can be applied to heating and cooling homes with high efficiency using heat pumps.
High-density polyethylene is a versatile plastic valued for being both lightweight, strong, inexpensive, and easy to recycle. Today, it’s the world’s most widely used type of plastic.
Horizontal Ground Loop
A horizontal ground loop is a series of plastic underground pipes filled with a heat-transfer fluid and buried at shallow depths over a wide swath of land. The loop connects to an indoor geothermal heat pump and uses the ground as a heat source or heat sink.
It’s also a type of closed-loop geothermal system. That means the heat-transfer fluid continuously circulates: no fluid can escape, and no outside materials can enter.
IGSHPA
The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) is an international nonprofit organization that promotes education, research, and adoption of ground source heat pump technology around the world. Its membership includes both individuals and geothermal companies. Several of Dandelion’s employees are registered members of the IGSHPA.
Manual J
Manual J Load is a measurement of your heating and cooling needs to determine what HVAC equipment is most appropriate for your home. Your HVAC contractor should calculate Manual J for you before installing your new HVAC system, but if they don’t, it’s time to find another contractor.
NYSERDA is a public-benefit corporation of the New York state government that promotes renewable energy and reduced energy consumption for New York. NYSERDA collaborates with businesses, universities, public interest groups, nonprofits, and the New York state government entities to achieve its goals.
Open Loop Geo System
A closed loop geothermal system continuously circulates a mixture of water and non-toxic antifreeze through buried or submerged plastic pipes. These underground pipes connect to an indoor heat pump.
Pond or Lake Ground Loop
A pond / lake ground loop is a series of plastic pipes filled with heat-transfer fluid and submerged in a nearby pond or lake with adequate size, depth, and flow. The loop connects to an indoor geothermal heat pump and uses the pond or lake water as a heat source or heat sink. It’s also a type of closed-loop geothermal system. That means the heat-transfer fluid continuously circulates in a closed loop that’s filled just once and used again and again in a closed loop! That means that the heat-transfer fluid continuously circulates: no fluid can escape, and no outside materials can enter.
Propylene Glycol
Propylene glycol is a synthetic (man-made) liquid substance belonging to the same chemical group as alcohol. It’s odorless, colorless, nearly tasteless, and has a slightly syrupy consistency. Propylene glycol has excellent heat transfer properties and reduces the freezing point of water.
Refrigerants are substances that help to transfer heat from one place to another by contracting and expanding repeatedly. When compressed, refrigerants become very hot and release heat to their surroundings; when expanded, refrigerants become very cold and pull heat from their surroundings.
The former is useful for heating and the latter is useful for cooling. This principle can be applied in a wide variety of devices, from refrigerators to heat pumps.
Single-Stage Heat Pump
A single-stage heat pump utilizes a single-stage compressor. It only has one setting— full blast. Once your desired temperature is reached, the unit will switch off. In other words, it’s all or nothing.
Two-Stage Heat Pump
A two-stage heat pump, also called a dual-stage heat pump, utilizes a two-stage compressor. It has 2 levels of intensity – high (100%) and low (typically 70%). The heat pump will cycle on and off at low speed — first stage — for the majority of the year, until it gets really cold or hot out and needs to jump to high speed — second stage — to keep up. The heat pump will automatically jump between stages in response to the temperature that you set on the thermostat.
Variable-Stage Heat Pump
A variable-stage heat pump utilizes a variable, or modulating, compressor. It can vary its levels of intensity incrementally. While single-stage heat pumps have 1 speed (full blast) and two-stage heat pumps have 2 speeds (high and low), variable-stage heat pumps have all but infinite speeds. As a result, these units rarely shut off while maintaining a consistent temperature and excellent efficiency.
A vertical ground loop is a series of plastic underground pipes filled with a heat-transfer fluid and installed in one or more boreholes about 200 to 500 feet deep in the ground. The loop connects to an indoor geothermal heat pump and uses the ground as a heat source or heat sink. It’s also a type of closed-loop geothermal system. That means the heat-transfer fluid continuously circulates: no fluid can escape, and no outside materials can enter.
Water to Air Heat Pump
Water-to-air heat pumps transfer the underground heat energy from hot water to the indoor air distributed through a building’s ductwork. When a hotter material comes into contact with a colder one, this temperature difference causes heat to naturally move from hot to cold, so heat pumps are renewable and efficient. In the winter, water-to-air heat pumps supply forced-air heating; in the summer, they supply central AC.
Water to Water Heat Pump
Water-to-water heat pumps transfer the underground heat energy from hot water or steam to indoor hot water or steam. This hot water or steam is then distributed within homes and businesses through radiators, hot water baseboard heaters, or radiant floor heating. When a hotter material comes into contact with a colder one, this temperature difference causes heat to naturally move from hot to cold, so heat pumps are renewable and efficient.