Coupling Geothermal Heat Pumps with Underground Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage

The objective of this demonstration was to fully maximize the inherent advantages of the geology and hydrogeology accessed by means of Ground-loop Heat Exchangers GHX with closed loop systems or via direct ground water use with open-loop systems, which conventional GHP systems in the U.S. are not designed to achieve. Deliberately engineered UTES systems not only allow for the waste heat of cooling systems and the waste cool of heating systems to be captured, but also allow for the out-of-season capture of the winters cold or summers heat from the air or via solar thermal collectors, if needed, in cooling-dominated or heating-dominated buildings, respectively.