News | May 17, 2010

NGWA Compiles Data On Regulation Of Geothermal Heat Pump System Installations In U.S.

Geothermal heat pump system installations are regulated in most U.S. states, but there is little data tracking the number and type of such systems being installed, according to a new survey cosponsored by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA).

The "2009/2010 Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems State Regulatory Oversight Survey" represents the most complete, accurate, and up-to-date information for geothermal system regulation available. It is designed to allow readers to easily compare state-by-state regulations as well as aggregate data on all responding states.

The other survey cosponsors are the Ground Water Protection Council, GeoExchange, and the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association.

Among its findings:

  • Most states regulate some aspect of geothermal heat pump system installations, particularly those involving vertical boreholes
  • Many states that don't currently regulate installations are planning to do so, although only with certain geothermal heat pump system technologies
  • Most regulatory oversight takes place at the state level as opposed to the county, city, town or village levels
  • Across technologies, water well boards most often develop specific regulations for geothermal heat pump system installations
  • Very few states have tracked the number of installations from 2004-2008
  • In most cases, individuals constructing wells or boreholes are required to have a license; this is less often the case with trenched systems.

The 34 states responding to all or part of the survey are Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The survey questions were asked of the following technologies:

  • Open loop—single well for water withdrawal, water returned to a surface source
  • Open loop—single well for water withdrawal, water returned to a second well
  • Standing column—single well for water withdrawal and water return
  • Closed loop—vertical boreholes
  • Closed loop—subsurface trenched, or other configuration, but not vertical boreholes
  • Closed loop—surface water body emplacement
  • Direct exchange (DX)—vertical boreholes
  • Direct exchange (DX)—subsurface trenched, or other configuration, but not vertical boreholes
  • Concentric pipe systems—heat exchange fluid flows to the bottom of the hole through a small diameter inner pipe and then up the annual space between the inner and outer pipes.

For more information, visit www.ngwa.org.

About NGWA
NGWA, a nonprofit organization comprised of more than 13,000 U.S. and international groundwater professionals—contractors, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, scientists, and engineers—is dedicated to advancing groundwater knowledge. NGWA's vision is to be the leading groundwater association that advocates the responsible development, management, and use of water.

SOURCE: NGWA