Integration of Geothermal Heat Pumps in a Building Foundation
Team Members Heading link
- Cody Cetnarowski
- Ashley Griffin
- Karina Kuyek
Advisors: Dr. Krishna Reddy; Richard Jezierny, EI
Project Description Heading link
With the increased concern of climate change, green structures are becoming more popular and in demand than ever. In fact, according to the World Green Building Trends 2018 SmartMarket Report, more than half of the survey respondents are expected to increase their green projects to 60 percent in 2021. As there is an increased focus on sustainable solutions, engineers are able to improve or create new and unique designs for future infrastructure to meet these demands.
An integrated geothermal heat pump system in a building foundation can be a cost-effective, safe, and clean alternative to conventional energy consumption. The University of Illinois at Chicago, as an example, has installed 14 geothermal wells in a nearby field to heat one of its buildings, Grant Hall, keeping it at a consistent 73°F year-round. Designs like this allow for an advancement of simplistic and practical applications of geothermal energy in structures.
The objective of this design is to integrate geothermal energy caissons into the foundation structure of the new Computing, Design, Learning, and Research Center (CDLRC) at UIC that is scheduled to break ground in the near future. The geothermal energy pipes will be integrated into the caissons to support the structure and maximize thermal energy output to assist with the heating of the CDLRC to save in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The expected results include an analysis of reduced CO2 emissions due to heating and cooling up to 90%, as well as a financial analysis that indicates the potential to save up to 50% of the energy costs compared with a typical cooling system. It is expected that the pipes will last approximately 50 years before they need repair, so there will also be an expected return on investment for the overall geothermal system.