Some green energy sources seem to have charisma;others struggle for public attention with little success.
Solar energy is an “it” technology,as evidenced once again by the tremendous participation in the annual Solar Power International conference in Anaheim,California this week (Oct. 27-29). Twice as many companies (945) are displaying their wares in the Expo Hall this year,despite the still lagging economy. And overall attendance is expected to break last year’s record,itself a record breaker.
Even on Main Street,ask pretty much anyone and they know solar,probably like it,and see it as an economy builder.
Ask the same people about geothermal heat pumps and there is a good chance they won’t know what you’re talking about. Or they may give an answer that confuses the appliances with geothermal geyser power plants. For whatever reason,the concept of extracting heat from the ground has yet to capture the public or political imagination as much as extracting it from the sun.
Yet,geothermal heat pumps could have a significant impact on our energy supply. They can be installed pretty much anywhere there is a building. And if we used them to maximum potential in the United States,we could avoid building 91-105 gigawatts of generation,nearly half of the new power we will need in 2030,according to the US Department of Energy.
Homeowners who consider then discard the idea often cite the high upfront installation costs. Yet the same argument could easily be made about solar photovoltaic panels. So why is geothermal an also ran technology?
One problem,according to the DOE,is that the heat pump industry needs to collect and disseminate more solid data on heat pumps. Work underway by the Chewonki Foundation,an educational institute in Maine,moves in this direction. With a grant from the Maine Public Utilities Commission,Chewonki is monitoring and measuring the performance of a newly installed heat pump system at its 11,000 square-foot meeting hall. The state is looking for an alternative to heating buildings with oil,a relatively common fuel in Maine. Geothermal heat pumps may prove to be that alternative.
No related posts.
