Evaluating Geothermal Heat Pumps - Carbon & The Grid 2024

Event Description

Join us as we discuss a US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory modeling analysis to examine the potential impact of mass geothermal heat pump (GHP) deployment on the country's electric power system and carbon emissions.

The simulation results indicated that widespread implementation of GHPs in commercial and residential buildings, in conjunction with building envelope improvements, could alleviate stress on the power grid, reduce energy costs, and substantially cut carbon dioxide emissions. The study's primary researcher, Xiaobing Liu, emphasized that GHPs significantly impact electric power systems by reducing capacity, generation, transmission requirements, and carbon emissions.

The research showed that deploying GHPs in both commercial and residential buildings, combined with building envelope improvements, could reduce over 7,000 million metric tons of carbon emissions through 2050. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the potential for substantial peak electric demand reduction and electricity savings, particularly in cold and warm climate zones, highlighting the wide-ranging benefits of mass GHP deployment. The study's development of a web-based tool for estimating the cost and benefits of GHP applications in residential and commercial buildings aims to provide accessible information to homeowners, builders, and installers.

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