Environmental Assessment of Ground Source Heat Pump Systems

Ground source heat pump systems (GSHPs) represent the most frequent geothermal application. Because of the economic and environmental benefits of GSHPs in comparison with other technologies for space-heating, cooling, and warm-water provision, an exponential growth rate for these systems is predicted for the coming decades. GSHPs are considered to have a low environmental impact. However, they are not fully renewable. Devices such as borehole heat exchangers have to be installed and maintained, and during operation a heat pump continuously consumes electricity from the grid. In order to assess the environmental benefits of such technologies, the complete life-cycle of all technological elements has to be examined. This life-cycle includes drilling, installation, operation and disposal phase of GSHP application, and all background process for device production, transport and power generation. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of a GSHP life cycle. The environmental relevance of individual technological elements is rated for a number of environmental indicators, including CO2 savings potential, ozone layer depletion, soil ecotoxicological potential, and impacts on the local aquifer. The role of primary energy used for heat pump operation is discussed, and comparison is made with alternative conventional space-conditioning systems.