Geothermal heating and cooling is a well-established technology; it’s been around in simplistic forms for more than half a century and has developed at an impressive rate to become a technology that is providing real solutions for decarbonization and grid management. In its years of growth and innovative development, geothermal has taken on many different Read more
Jay Egg
Geothermal heating and cooling is a well-established technology; it’s been around in simplistic forms for more than half a century and has developed at an impressive rate to become a technology that is providing real solutions for decarbonization and grid management. In its years of growth and innovative development, geothermal has taken on many different forms and variations, all of which have their own unique benefits.
The Vanderbilt Breakers Mansion saves $36,000 a year with Direct Geothermal Exchange.
The first recorded closed-loop geothermal design installed was a water-free direct exchange geothermal system in 1945. Robert C. Webber (1911-1984) is acknowledged by most to be the inventor of the ground-coupled heat pump system. In fact, according to a September 1948 issue of “The Refrigeration Industry,” Webber was the first to heat his seven-room home in Indianapolis by reversing the cycle on his home freezer. The issue featured Webber as The Refrigeration Industry’s “Man of the Month.” Webber’s “freezer in reverse” was also featured in Ripley’s Believe it or Not in 1948.
Caption: Robert C. Webber (1911-1984)
Direct geothermal exchange (DGX) waterless geothermal systems, also known as direct exchange systems, offer an innovative and sustainable way to heat and cool your home without requiring water in the loop for heat exchange. Unlike many other types of systems, DX uses a closed-loop refrigerant circuit to release heat from under our feet, eliminating the need for water that other systems require. One of the most vital benefits of Direct Exchange Waterless Geothermal is how efficiently it produces year-round temperature control using safe, reliable refrigerants.
There are many pioneers within the sustainable and renewable energy field, one of which is Bill Buschur, President of Total Green Manufacturing. Bill is a recognizable figure within the geothermal industry, and within the niche of waterless geothermal, with a history in the development of the technology used today. For reference, back in 1980, EarthLinked Technologies (ETI) established itself as a research company in the geothermal industry, becoming the original direct exchange manufacturer. It continued to have great success over the years as it carved out a niche in the geothermal industry. ETI partnered with Total Green Mfg. for five years, and Total Green acquired the 38-year-old DGX Manufacturing company.
Total Green Crew installs a DGX system.
A little history
“At around 12 years old, I began to ride along with my father in the service truck and I would run back and forth from the truck to get him tools or the parts he needed to make the repairs,” Buschur shared with us, “As I got a little older, I began building geo ground loops. I remember we had two football practices a day, and I would come home and build loops for the rest of the day. Eventually, I began to go to the job site with other crew members and help with the installation process.”
Young Bill Buschur working on site.
One of the keys to innovation is passion, and Bill Buschur has no issue with showing his passion through actions and incredible results. Bill has grown his business from a hard-working crew of only four people to becoming the largest direct exchange geothermal contracting company in the U.S., installing over 100 DX systems on a yearly basis.
Establishing the Waterless® brand was no small feat for Bill, but after earning a degree in Business Management and a refrigeration certification, topped off by 30 years of experience in geothermal heat pump technology, he’s become the driving force behind the biggest name in Direct Geothermal Exchange nationwide.
Quality is vital in any field, but Bill has ensured that his geothermal direct exchange units are to the highest standard, stating, “Dad always taught us that ‘If you don’t do things right the first time, you’ll end up doing it again’”. So we made sure we didn’t cut any corners when it came to Designing and Installing a geothermal system.”. This has been a key factor in how effectively Total Green has kept up with the latest technology.
At the end of the day, the million-dollar question is, “Are direct exchange waterless geothermal systems as efficient as water-based geothermal systems?” The answer is yes. Past criticisms of DX systems have primarily revolved around the question of environmentally friendly refrigerants. Today modern DX systems use advanced refrigerants that are both environmentally friendly and efficient with heat transfer, which will enhance the performance of the system altogether.
Bill Buschur in his younger years learning the trade (right).
We’re fortunate to have so many diverse options when considering which geothermal system to choose from, accompanied by so many industry pioneers behind each system. As we continue to push for the world to embrace and prioritize sustainability and energy efficiency, minimizing negative environmental impact and using the natural resources given to us, we should make a conscious effort to do so as one piece of that ever-forming puzzle. Any and every geothermal system contributes to a brighter, greener, world-changing future for us and generations to come.
We are on the same team, we are in the same boat, and we are a part of the geothermal heat pump revolution, changing the world for the better.
Mimi (Hannah) Egg is a Social Media Marketing Consultant with a passion for writing and researching. She has overseen the social media accounts for multiple private and corporate organizations and is constantly learning new ways to understand and optimize demographic outreach and form beneficial business connections through social networking for her clients. She can be reached at Mimieggshell@gmail.com
New York City sees it, and they don’t have a water shortage. Nashville Airport sees it, and they’ve got plenty of water. I hear that even Disney in Florida is doing it. We’d all better know how to do it, or we’ll be playing catch-up. What is it? “It” is cooling- tower-elimination by going Read more
New York City sees it, and they don’t have a water shortage. Nashville Airport sees it, and they’ve got plenty of water. I hear that even Disney in Florida is doing it. We’d all better know how to do it, or we’ll be playing catch-up. What is it?
“It” is cooling- tower-elimination by going to geothermal. If cooling towers were ever “cool,” they have lost their charm (LA Times; NY Times). Cooling towers in commercial buildings are the number two consumer of potable water, using more water than landscape irrigation or the office cafeteria/kitchen facilities. Only the restrooms use more water (national average) than cooling towers in commercial buildings.
In Tennessee, the Nashville Airport is in the process of going 100% geothermal. They will no longer need their cooling towers or boilers. Universities and schools all over the country are going geothermal. In New York City, a new law will require all city-owned buildings to go geothermal when upgrading or building new. What’s the stipulation? They must show a payback in less than 20 years. How much would you like to bet they all fit that category? Save your money, they are all going to be geothermal.
As of 2010, there was 81 billion square feet of commercial space in the US, about 60% of it utilizing cooling towers. That doesn’t count the industrial (commercial and manufacturing) and residential (apartment buildings such as high rise) applications. In fact, the US could save 2 trillion gallons of water each year by converting to geo, not to mention the incalculable combustion heating and resulting CO2 emissions that would be eliminated. That’s enough water savings for the household needs of every person in California AND Georgia for an entire year. Another way to look at 2 trillion gallons is in a swimming pool scenario. A 2 trillion gallon swimming pool 5 feet deep would need to be 1 mile wide by 2000 miles long.
Geothermal sources can be tied to geothermal heat pumps (GHPs), chillers, reversing chillers, swimming pool heat pumps, ice rinks, you name it. Geothermal loops are an abundant source for heating, and a super-efficient repository for heat-sinking (as in cooling; rejecting heat).
Hydronically speaking, geothermal adds unprecedented benefits and possibilities. Moving beyond the scale of single buildings, think of a block, or as it’s sometimes referred to; a “grid.” In the winter the residential apartments are going to need heat at the same time as the commercial buildings are rejecting heat (commercial buildings are often nearly 100% cooling dominant due to internal gains). Instead of those commercial buildings rejecting heat to the outdoors through the cooling towers, that heat is now confined in a geothermal pipe-line, easily distributed to the heat-hungry GHPs serving the residential apartments; energy synergy at its best! It’s not just a theory; read on and I’ll explain how you can learn more about this in a webinar coming next month…
There are several other advantages to cooling tower elimination beyond water and energy savings.
Geothermal is beginning to be legislated into new construction and retrofits. The federal government already does it. Cities and states are working on it. Elimination of combustion heating and the resulting CO2 emissions are a hot topic right now, and only geothermal can make that happen*. It’s only a matter of time until we will all be doing it, so let’s beat the learning curve and get involved now with geothermal industry organizations, GEO and IGSHPA.
CaliforniaGeo is doing a webinar on February 4th that features three case studies that expand upon the replacement of cooling towers with geothermal heat exchange technology. This is the low hanging fruit that can achieve permanent water conservation and increase benefits and comfort. By request, CaliforniaGeo is placing this webinar online, live for a second time. As I mentioned earlier, one of the case studies will illustrate thermal load shifting/sharing.
https://www.californiageo.org/news/two-californiageo-webinars-could-boost-your-sustainability/
Jay Egg is a geothermal consultant, writer, and the owner of EggGeothermal. He has co-authored two textbooks on geothermal HVAC systems published by McGraw-Hill Professional. He can be reached at jayegg.geo@gmail.com.
*…with the exception of electric resistance heating. Electrical resistance heat consumes 300% to 500% more energy than a GHP.