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Earth-Coupled Heat Pump Systems--Selection, Design & Performance, Larry W. Turner, Donald G. Colliver, W. E. Murphy

Agricultural Engineering Energy Series

Rising energy costs have caused many people to look for more efficient ways to heat and cool their homes. One of the most energy-efficient systems to come along in recent years is the earth-coupled heat pump. Pioneered at the University of Kentucky in the 1950s, the earth-coupled system relies on the thermal capacity of water to transfer heat, whereas conventional heat pump relies on outside air. ln an earth-coupled system, water source heat pump is connected (or "coupled") to pipes in the ground or in wells for the source of heat in winter and cool air in the summer. In …