US-based Dandelion Energy has unveiled a new geothermal heat pump for heating and cooling in residential applications.
“Geothermal heating and cooling is highly complementary with rooftop solar and many homeowners choose to adopt both,” the company's CTO and co-founder, Kathy Hannun, told pv magazine. “Most US homeowners heat their homes using fuel like natural gas, fuel oil, or propane for heating. When they switch to geothermal heating and cooling, their system uses electricity to harvest renewable thermal energy and very high efficiency. Rooftop solar allows homeowners to produce this electricity themselves for unparalleled cost savings and fully carbon-free operation.”
Dubbed Dandelion Geo, the new system consists of ground loops extending 300 ft (91.44m) to 500 ft (152.4m) deep that circulate water and non-toxic antifreeze mixture, as well as a heat pump installed inside the house. It also utilizes a plate heat exchanger and a proprietary air coil to move heat from the ground to the home and back.
The heat pump can reportedly heat air to up to 49 C and reach a coefficient of performance (COP) of 5.2. Its full-load heating capacity is of up to 63,000 Btu/hour.
The new product also includes a single electrical circuit, automatic flow control, unparalleled airflow flexibility and integrated ground loop pumps, soft start, and monitoring.
The company explained that in the winter water circulates through the ground loops and is warmed up by the earth. The water then flows back into the geothermal heat pump, which concentrates the heat and distributes it throughout the home. Then the water goes back to the earth to repeat the cycle.
In the summertime, the warm air from the home is conveyed into the heat pump, where heat is extracted and pumped into the ground loop, where it is cooled down by the earth. The now cool water is used then to absorb more heat from the house.
The company will initially sell the new system in the US market. “While we don't yet have a timeline for international expansion, our first non-US market will be Canada. Like in much of the US, Canada has a strong need for inexpensive, carbon-free heating powerful enough for the coldest weather. The Dandelion Geo is ideally suited for the Canadian market, and we look forward to offering our heat pump there in the future,” Hannun stated.
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