Civil Engineering Commons^™

Comparative Energy And Cost Analysis Between Conventional Hvac Systems And Geothermal Heat Pump Systems, David D. Vanderburg

Theses and Dissertations

To sustain the United States current affluence and strength, the U.S. Government has encouraged energy conservation through executive orders, federal and local laws, and consumer education. A substantial reduction in U.S. energy consumption could be realized by using geothermal heat pumps to heat and cool buildings throughout the U.S., though initial installation cost are a deterrent. This thesis uses Monte Carlo simulation to predict energy consumption, life cycle cost and payback period for the vertical closed-loop ground source heat pump (GSHP) relative to conventional heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems: air-source heat pumps (ASHP), air-cooled air conditioning with either …