Ground Source Heat Pump

ACES plans to be carbon neutral in ten years! To this end, we have launched our open loop water ground source heat pump installation to replace the existing electric resistant heating system, under the guidance of Resource Engineering Group— Dave Houghton principle.

With the generosity of CORE, the Environment Foundation, The Ruth Brown Foundation, and an anonymous donor, we will be heating the Hallam Lake Education Center and the property manager's home from the 48° water that feeds Hallam Lake.

How does this work? The short answer is that it works just like your refrigerator only in reverse. See below for a more detailed explanation.

We want to heat our building in a fiscally and environmentally responsible fashion — all while teaching you how it works. As we implement renewable solutions and mitigate energy waste and loss we want to share our process with you. Energy will be part of the ACES curriculum in both the school and Naturalist Field School programs. 

With the health and well-being of future generations at stake, ACES will lead by example, and our Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) is just the beginning. We will be evaluating our efficiency and all renewable energy solutions — solar (passive and active), micro hydro, wind, and biomass — to determine which portfolio best matches each of our locations. We have begun with Hallam Lake; our next priorities will be Rock Bottom Ranch in Basalt, Toklat in the Castle Creek valley, and Spring Creek in the Frying Pan valley.

What is a ground source heat pump?
Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) are systems that tap the stored energy of the greatest solar collector in existence: the Earth. These systems use the Earth's relatively constant temperature to provide heating, cooling, and hot water for homes and commercial buildings.

How do ground source heat pumps work?
Ground source heat pumps can be categorized as having closed or open loops, and those loops can be installed in three ways: horizontally, vertically, or in a pond/lake. The type chosen depends on the available land areas and the soil and rock type at the installation site. These factors help determine the most economical choice for installation of the ground loop.

For closed loop systems, water or antifreeze solution is circulated through plastic pipes buried beneath the Earth's surface. During the winter, the fluid collects heat from the Earth and carries it through the system and into the building. During the summer, the system reverses itself to cool the building by pulling heat from the building, carrying it through the system and placing it in the ground. This process creates free hot water in the summer and delivers substantial hot water savings in the winter.

Open loop systems operate on the same principle as closed loop systems and can be installed where an adequate supply of suitable water is available and open discharge is feasible. Benefits similar to the closed loop system are obtained. 

The ACES GSHP will be fed by the 48° water that feeds Hallam Lake. Thirty gallons per minute will be directed from the water source to the heat pump in the mechanical room. The heat pump will pump the water through the system, boiling it, thus creating gas in the evaporation process. Through a compression process the hot gas at 120° will be condensed and supply the hot water through the system. The heat will be extracted out of the water and returned to the lake at approximately 40°. The heat in the Education Center will be distributed through a combination of radiant flooring and water to water radiators on the second floor. The heat pump in the property manager's house will distribute heat through a water to air system of ducts. In every case, the specific dynamics of the property dictate the best solution. 

As the system is installed please be on the look out for our ribbon cutting and related programs.