English 421Y: Technical Writing Online

In this next blog entry, I'd like to focus in on more of the statistical facts that I've collected via research into horizontal closed-loop systems. I think that such data will be pertinent to the usability and immediate credibility of any information that our white paper provides, and that it is completely necessary for us to achieve our desired project outcome. In researching statistics, I planned to gather data that would meet our main objective of informing the primary audience, the contractor, on the appropriate heat pump system for any given scenario. For this to be necessary, it would obviously be crucial to first justify the usage of geothermal heat pumps in general, through the usage of efficiency data and the like

Some of the main sources that I used to gather such information include:
http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu/index.htm (Int. Ground Source Heat Pump Assoc.)
http://www.heatpumpcentre.org/
http://iga.igg.cnr.it/geo/geoenergy.php

To begin the geothermal justification, the initial source states that such heat pumps are 50-70% more efficient than other heating systems, while 20-40% more energy efficient than available air conditioners. This translates directly to consumer saving, with total initial investment recovery amounting to as little as 3 years after installation (depending on various factors). The Heat Pump Center page, listed as the second source above, provides even more detailed information about potential energy savings. This source states that such system can cut local emissions by approximately 35-50%. This source then goes on to elaborate on the COP, or coefficient of performance, and PER, or primary energy ratio, for electrically and thermally driven heat pumps, respectively. These are measures of the systems performance, relative to the input power, are range according to the temperature lift and the Carnot efficiency. From the third listed source, relative data was gathered concerning actual costs. This source, citing the World Energy Assessment Report prepared by the World Energy Council (2000), states average energy costs of geothermal systems at as little as 2 cents per kWh, verses generally higher ranges for other alternative energy sources, such as biomass, wind, and tidal. I think these statistics, among others, will set a strong foundation for examining and analyzing the costs and benefits associated with each individual system.