GEOTHERMAL HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM AND METHOD

Abstract

A method of providing a geothermal heating and cooling system for a building having the steps of designing and installing a geothermal heat pump and loop field system to a customer's building; calculating a periodic fee to be charged to the customer; measuring the actual geothermal system usage; and charging the customer the periodic fee which is comprised of a base fee and a usage charge based on the amount the system is in operation.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The invention is in the field of providing a utility and determining the rate that should be charged.

2. Description of the Related Art

The price of using fossil fuel or electricity to heat and cool buildings has been increasing, and is expected to increase for the foreseeable future. Therefore, many people are turning to geothermal energy for a less expensive alternative.

Over the life of a building, geothermal heating and cooling is less expensive than many alternatives. However, the up front cost of installing geothermal systems is considerably higher compared to alternative heating and cooling systems. For this reason, many people do not consider installing geothermal in their buildings.

In the field of solar hot water systems, one solution that has been tried is disclosed in US Pat. App. Pub. No. 2008/0027883 A1 by Reddy et al. Reddy discloses a business method for providing a utility and calculating a rate to charge the customer that is not based on energy usage. Reddy only discusses solar hot water, and specifically that the rate charged is not based on the amount of energy used.

Another example in the solar field is disclosed in US Pat. App. Pub. No. 2008/0091626 A1 and US App. Pub. No. 2008/0091626 A1, both by Kremen. The primary examples in these publications involve photovoltaic solar power, not geothermal heating and cooling. The disclosures teach the creation of financial instruments to purchase, lease, and maintain consumer premises equipment, and provides for shutting off the power of the consumer stops paying.

None of these references apply directly to geothermal heat pumps or geothermal loop fields, and none provide any incentive for the customer to save energy. What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for financing the installation of a geothermal heating and cooling systems and charging a fee based on an output related to energy usage.

SUMMARY

The invention is a system and method that satisfies the need for financing the installation of geothermal heating and cooling systems and charging a fee, and is based on an output related to energy usage. A system according to the present invention comprises a geothermal heat pump; a warm leg connected to the geothermal heat pump, the warm leg being substantially covered by ground for collecting heat from the ground; a cold leg connected to the geothermal heat pump and the warm leg, the cold leg being substantially covered by ground; an inlet duct connected to the geothermal heat pump drawing cool air in; an outlet duct connected to the geothermal heat pump for warm air to exit; a sensor connected to the geothermal heat pump system that detects the amount that the system is in operation; calculating means for calculating a periodic usage fee to a user based on the amount the system is in operation; and means for turning off the system in the event the periodic fees are not paid. A method according to the present invention comprises the steps of designing and installing a geothermal heat pump and loop field system to a customer's building; calculating a periodic usage fee to be charged to the customer; measuring the actual geothermal system usage; and charging the customer the periodic usage fee. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following drawings, description, and claim.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system and apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a process flow chart showing the method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a process flow chart showing details of one of the steps in the method of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

Turning to FIG. 1, a geothermal heat pump (“GHP”) system that is used in the present invention has a GHP 102 at its core. If the GHP system is used for heating, a heat transfer medium is warmed by the ground or a loop field 108 or other geothermal heat source, and travels up its warm leg 104 to the GHP 102. As used in this specification and claims the term “ground” and “loop field” are synonymous. The heat is transferred to air, for example, in an outlet duct 112. Cool air is returned via an inlet duct 110, and is cleaned by an optional air filter 118. The heat transfer medium, after transferring its heat, is returned to the earth down a cold leg 106 for reheating. If the GHP system is used for cooling, the flows are reversed. It is intended that this specification, drawings, and claims cover the reversed cycle as if they were rewritten to show the reverse cycle, even though only the forward, heating cycle is shown.

The warm leg 104 may have a warm leg circulation pump 114 to pump the heat transfer medium through the GHP 102. The cold leg may also have a cold leg circulation pump 116 to pump the heat transfer medium through the GHP 102. It is understood that one or more pumps may be needed. Sensors and meters that directly or indirectly measure the amount the system is used may also be coupled with the warm leg 104, its pump 114, the cold leg 106, or its pump 116. Examples include, but are not limited to, flow meters, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, timers that count how long a pump is operating, and power meters for the pumps.

In one embodiment, a warm leg sensor 120 can be provided connected to the geothermal heat pump system. The warm leg sensor could be a flow meter, temperature sensor, or a pressure sensor. A cold leg sensor 122 can also be provided, which could also be a flow meter, temperature sensor, or a pressure sensor.

In the same or another embodiment, a warm leg circulation pump sensor 124 and/or a cold leg circulation pump sensor 126 could be provided. They would be connected to the respective pumps can could be timers or power meters.

In the same or yet another embodiment, a GHP sensor 132 could be connected elsewhere in the system, and could be one of the types listed above.

A calculating means for calculating a periodic usage fee to a user based on the amount the system is in operation is also provided. The calculating means is preferably a computer storage media electrically connected to at least one of the sensors, the computer storage media containing software programming steps that calculate the periodic usage fee to a user based on the amount the system is in operation.

Furthermore, a means for turning off the system in the event the periodic fees are not paid is also connected to the system. The means for turning off the system could be a means 118 connected to the warm leg circulation pump 114. The means for turning off the system could also be a means 130 connected to the cold leg circulation pump 116. Another means 132 could be connected to the GHP elsewhere in the system. The means 118, 130, 132 used could be at least one electric switch or fluid valve. It might also be a computer command issued to those devices from a computer.

The method of the invention is to provide the system shown in FIG. 1 with no up front cost to the customer while generating a profit to the vendor. Turning to FIG. 2, a vendor will evaluate, design, and install a geothermal system for heating and/or cooling a building 202. The design, equipment, and labor are provided as a package. The designer will calculate the expected periodic usage rate for the equipment and location as a part of the design. The vendor and customer will likely enter into a long-term contract before the vendor does any installation.

The vendor, either before or after the design and installation, must calculate a periodic fee to charge the customer 204. The periodic fee would be based on regular periodic payments, for example, monthly. The base fee would be calculated using a base fee, item 220 in FIG. 3, and a usage charge, described below.

While the system is in use, the amount of actual use would be measured 206 by sensors and meters, such as those listed above. Then the periodic usage fee will be determined and actually charged to the customer 208. The periodic usage fee is calculated by multiplying the periodic fee by the actual use during the period typically monthly.

Finally, the vendor will be able to turn off system if the customer does not pay in a timely manner 210. The means for turning off the system would preferably be by disabling the GHP 102 or circulation pumps 114, 116, although other means could be used, like electric switches or fluid control valves.

FIG. 3 provides details about the step of calculating the periodic base fee 204. It is an economic calculation having as inputs the cost of the equipment 212, cost of design and installation 214, required rate of return for the vendor 216, predicted usage 218, and service and maintenance costs 222 for the equipment and location. All of these factors and possibly more go into calculating the base fee 220.

There are many benefits of the system and method of the present invention over the prior art. One of the benefits is that the customer does not have to pay for the up front capital costs, which typically includes a high cost for drilling. Also, the vendor receives a long-term, predictable stream of income. In addition, the customer and/or vendor may be able to take advantage of financing and tax incentives for the installation of a clean energy system that replaces a fossil-fueled furnace. Finally, the customer has some control over the amount he or she pays by changing the amount of usage. There is some incentive for conservation and for turning down the heat or air conditioning when the building is unoccupied.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, the above description is merely illustrative. Further modification of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

Claims

1. A geothermal heating and cooling system comprising:

a geothermal heat pump;

a warm leg connected to the geothermal heat pump, the warm leg being substantially covered by ground for collecting heat from the ground;

a cold leg connected to the geothermal heat pump and the warm leg, the cold leg being substantially covered by ground;

an inlet duct connected to the geothermal heat pump drawing cool air in;

an outlet duct connected to the geothermal heat pump for warm air to exit;

a sensor connected to the geothermal heat pump system that detects the amount that the system is in operation;

means for calculating a periodic usage fee to a user based on the amount the system is in operation; and

means for turning off the system in the event the periodic usage fee is not paid.

2. The geothermal heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a flow meter, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a timer, and a power meter.

3. The geothermal heat pump system of claim 1 further comprising a warm leg circulation pump connected to the warm leg for pumping a heat transfer medium through the geothermal heat pump.

4. The geothermal heat pump system of claim 1 further comprising a cold leg circulation pump connected to the cold leg for pumping a heat transfer medium through the geothermal heat pump.

5. The geothermal heat pump system of claim 3 wherein the means for turning off the system is an electric switch connected to the warm leg circulation pump.

6. The geothermal heat pump system of claim 4 wherein the means for turning off the system is an electric switch connected to the cold leg circulation pump.

7. The geothermal heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the means for turning off the system is a fluid valve connected to the warm leg or the cold leg.

8. The geothermal heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the means for turning off the system is a fluid valve connected to the warm leg.

9. The geothermal heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the means for turning off the system is a fluid valve connected to the cold leg.

10. The geothermal heat pump system of claim 1, the means for calculating a periodic usage fee to a user comprising computer storage media electrically connected to the sensor, the computer storage media containing software programming steps that calculates the periodic usage fee to a user based on the amount the system is in operation.

11. A method of providing a geothermal heating and cooling system for a building comprising the steps of:

designing and installing a geothermal heating and cooling system to a customer's building;

calculating a periodic fee to be charged to the customer;

measuring the actual geothermal system usage; and

charging the customer the periodic fee, the periodic fee comprising a base fee and a usage charge based on the amount the system is in operation.

12. The method of claim 11, where the measuring step is at least one selected from the group consisting of measuring flow, measuring temperature, measuring pressure, measuring time the system is used, and measuring power.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the calculating step calculates a base fee based on cost of equipment, cost of designing and installing the system, rate of return to the vendor, predicted use of a geothermal system, service costs, and maintenance costs.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of shutting off the geothermal heat pump system if the customer does not remit the fee charged.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of shutting off the geothermal heating and cooling system is turning off an electric switch or closing a fluid valve.