The Energy Information Administration's (EIA) new survey, Form EIA-902, "Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers Survey," shows manufacturers shipped 155,406 geothermal heat pumps during the period 1994 through 1996. The survey was completed by approximately 50 known domestic manufacturers of geothermal heat pumps. Geothermal heat pumps use the earth as a heat source or sink depending on the season. The capacity of heat pumps is rated in tons, with 1 ton equivalent to 12,000 Btu per hour. The average rated capacity of the heat pumps shipped was 3.4 tons. By comparison, a typical home central air conditioner has a rating of 3.0 tons.

Collaborative alliances among government, the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, and the geothermal industry have expanded consumer awareness and acceptance of geothermal heat pumps. Such efforts have resulted in greater use of geothermal whereheat pumps by electric utilities and electric service companies provide attractive financing, rebates,guaranteed utility rates, shared savings contracts, and equipment leasing arrangements.

The Operation of Geothermal Heatpumps

Heat pumps use a refrigerant to absorb and reject heat in a vapor compression cycle to transfer heat from outside to inside the house (during heating season) and from inside to outside the house (during cooling season). The refrigerant within the heat pump passes through a heat exchanger where it absorbs heat from (heating mode) or rejects heat to (cooling mode) the air. In a geothermal heat pump, the refrigerant exchanges heat with a fluid circulating through an earth connection. The fluid is contained in a variety of loop (pipe) configurations depending on the temperature of the ground. Loops may be installed horizontally or vertically in the ground or submersed in a body of water. Although the fluid in most types of loop configurations circulates in a closed system, open loops (normally vertical systems) are sometimes used when a sufficient supply of fluid is available.

The efficiency of a heat pump, that is, the electrical energy to operate it, is directly related to temperatures between which it operates. Geothermal heat pumps are more efficient than conventional heat pumps or air conditioners that use the outdoor air since the ground or ground water a few feet below the earth's surface remains relatively constant throughout the year. It is more efficient in the winter to draw heat from the relatively warm ground than from the atmosphere where the air temperature is much colder, and in summer transfer waste heat to the relatively cool ground than to hotter air. Geothermal heat pumps are generally more expensive ($2,000-$5,000) to install than outside air heat pumps. However, depending on the location geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy consumption (operating cost) and correspondingly, emissions by more than 20 percent compared to high-efficiency outside air heat pumps. Geothermal heat pumps also use the waste heat from air conditioning to provide free hot water heating in the summer.

Classification of Geothermal Heatpumps

The Form EIA-902 tracks shipments of the three main types of geothermal heat pumps, as classified by the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), and a small volume of non-ARI rated heat pumps. The three ARI-rated classifications utilized as geothermal heat pumps are: ARI-320, Water-Source Heat Pumps, utilizing ground water in either an open- or closed- loop, often installed in commercial buildings. ARI-325, Ground Water-Source Heat Pumps, an open-loop system utilizing a water well or other body of water; and ARI-330, Ground-Source Closed-Loop Heat Pumps, where water or a water/glycol (antifreeze) solution flows continuously through a closed-loop of pipe buried underground.

Data Aggregated to Protect Confidentiality

Data from the Form EIA-902, "Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers Survey," are confidential and only aggregated statistics are released. The tables below show manufacturers shipped 51,520 heat pumps in 1996. Of these, the types shipped were: ARI-320 (24,832), ARI-325 ( 7,603), ARI-330 (18,094), and non-ARI-rated units (991). Approximately 40 percent of all types were shipped to wholesalers. Over 40 percent of types ARI-320 and ARI-325 and 15 percent of ARI-330 were shipped to installers. Approximately 40 percent of ARI-330 and less than 20 percent of ARI-320 and ARI-325 were shipped to retailers. The regions for the largest shipments of geothermal heat pumps were the South (49 percent) followed by the Midwest (23 percent), and the Northeast (13 percent).

The data on geothermal heat pumps will be published in the Renewable Energy Annual 1997, Volume II, scheduled to be released in July 1998. The report will also be available on EIA's web site. The published report will be available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, 202/512-1800, or through EIA's National Energy Information Center, Forrestal Building, Washington D.C., 20585, 202/586-8800.

Table 1. Geothermal Heat Pump Shipments by Model Type 1994 - 1996
(Number of Units)

Model Type	1994	1995	1996
ARI-320	26,757	26,787	24,832
ARI-325	5,924	8,615	7,603
ARI-330	16,023	18,185	18,094
Non-ARI Rated	757	838	991
Totals	49,461	54,425	51,520
Source: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-902 "Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers Survey."

Table 2. Geothermal Heat Pump Shipments by Model Type, 1994 – 1996
(Total Rated Capacity in Tons)

Model Type	1994	1995	1996
ARI-320	73,879	72,304	7,8391
ARI-325	29,003	39,672	28,705
ARI-330	63,101	74,253	64,114
Non-ARI Rated	2,879	3,935	5,091
Totals	168,862	190,164	176,301
Source: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-902 "Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers Survey."

Table 3. Geothermal Heat Pump Shipments by Exports, Census Region,
and Model Type, 1996
(Number of Elements)

Exports and Census Region	Model Type				Total
	ARI-320	ARI-325	ARI-330	Non-ARI Rated
Exports	3,103	302	624	61	4,090
Midwest	2,467	2,295	6,804	308	11,874
Northeast	2,572	1,001	2,774	70	6,417
South	14,138	3,834	6,880	450	25,302
West	2,552	171	1,012	102	3,837
Total	24,832	7,603	18,094	991	51,520
Note: The Midwest census region consists of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The Northeast census region consists of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The South census region consists of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The West census region consists of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Table 4. Geothermal Heat Pump Shipments by Customer Type
and Model Type, 1996
(Number of Units)

Customer Type	ARI-320	ARI-325	ARI-330	Non-ARI Rated	Total
Exporter	W	W	W	556	2,276
Wholesale Distributor	10,929	2,980	7,346	189	21,444
Retail Distributor	W	W	7,267	273	8,336
Installer	12,256	3,285	2,755	466	18,762
End-User	124	W	W	W	689
Others	W	W	W	W	13
Total	24,832	7,603	18,092	991	51,520
W=Data withheld to avoid disclosure of proprietary company data. Source: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-902 "Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers Survey."

Requests for specific information may be directed to:
James Holihan
Phone: (202) 426-1147
Internet E-Mail: jholihan@eia.doe.gov