Geothermal idea stalls at ground level

[Ian David]

By Kay Lazar, Globe Staff | March 1, 2007

Alberta Bennett's determination to blaze a pollution-free path has become an odyssey of Homer-like proportions.

A quarter-century after spending her life savings on a wind-powered turbine -- it broke shortly after it was installed -- the Gloucester woman thought she was finally getting an environmentally friendly home heating and cooling system, one that is fueled by warm water extracted from 450 feet below ground.

But just as she is poised to have the geothermal system installed, a new hurdle has sprung up. City officials say this would be their first experience with a geothermal system, and with no regulations in place, they want to proceed carefully before issuing any permits.

Bennett, now 57 and disabled, spent years trying to get her electricity-generating turbine repaired. Eventually she gave up on wind power, built a greenhouse across the back of her house to help heat it, and started researching geothermal systems. Then a nonprofit group read about Bennett's long-defunct turbine last year in Globe North and offered free assistance in fixing it. When that didn't work out, it offered to help install a different, alternative energy source.

Now, the nonprofit is going back to the drawing board again.

"This is a learning process," said Elliott Jacobson, energy director at Action Inc. The Gloucester-based antipoverty agency has a state-funded contract to bring alternative energy to low-income residents in the region.

<snip>

Action Inc. has proposed drilling a well 450 feet deep, where water is roughly 50 degrees, then pumping that water through a heat exchanger in Bennett's house that extracts the heat, blows it through the dwelling, and returns the water to the well 5 degrees cooler than when it was drawn. Jacobson's group has arranged the installation of solar-powered electricity for 20 low-income residents around the state, and also helped five others receive solar-driven hot water heaters. But this would be the nonprofit's first geothermal system.

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/03/01/geothermal_idea_stalls_at_ground_level/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+City%2FRegion+News

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Hmmm

geothermal houses I know about around here (I'm living in one now) don't go down that deep--a neighbor built one on his own, using only a backhoe, and it works just fine. But then his house, and the one where I'm staying, are built on the sides of mountains-maybe that makes a difference.

[HereSince1628]

2. You can do it shallow with multiple loops of coil or you can punch a well

Depending on where you are you may not have the room to bury the coils, but plenty to put in the well. I love the idea of geo-assisted heat-pumps, and haven't found a company with even a little experience with them within 100 miles of Milwaukee.

[greenman3610]

3. you're correct

the ambient temp below the frost line is
pretty constant, and you don't have to go
down that deep, 8 or 10 feet max.
There are well developed systems that
take advantage of this.

[phantom power]

4. That's a weird geothermal system.

Usually, they just pump heat from the ground via fluid tubes. Why mess with pumping that water out of the ground? I wonder how much Action Inc is really helping her?