NREL GHP Showcase: GHP Installation and Intensive in situ and Performace Monitoring at NREL's Solar Radiation and Research Laboratory

Abstract

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is developing a research and development (R&D) showcase for Geothermal Heat Pump (GHP) technology on the NREL campus. The showcase helps NREL move forward with the goal to be a model of sustainability within the NREL campus, providing an effective demonstration of GHP systems applied to space conditioning for a laboratory expansion. The design also incorporates unique monitoring and control features compared to a standard GHP installation and will allow for the system to serve as an R&D platform. The data will provide insight into the zone of influence for a borehole, the thermal interference between boreholes, heat transfer throughout the ground loop, and the long-term efficiency of the system. In addition to these uses, the project provides an educational display of renewable energy/energy efficiency that can be featured on NREL tours.