PROPOSAL FOR THE PROMOTION OF GEOTHERMAL HEATING FOR THE TOWN OF MONO. June 2009 CONTENTS

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2 PROPOSAL FOR THE PROMOTION OF GEOTHERMAL HEATING FOR THE TOWN OF MONO June 2009 CONTENTS 1. Summary 2. Purpose of this document 3. The concept of renewable energy 4. Renewable energy possibilities 5. Primer on the science of geothermal heating 6. Practical issues that the homeowner and installer must consider 7. Pros and cons of a geothermal installation 8. Economic analysis 9. Possible courses of action for Town of Mono 1. Summary Al Gore has characterized global warming, as an Inconvenient Truth, a truth which at some level we all wish would just go away. Nevertheless, there is the beginning of recognition of this truth and the beginning of political leadership at all levels of government. After decades of denial by much of the world, there is a growing acceptance that our civilization is contributing to global warming. Furthermore, the pace of global warming is more rapid that initially thought and our planet appears to be on a collision course with geological and meteorological disruption. Carbon dioxide, the primary product of combustion, is the main culprit in producing global warming. There is an urgent need to decrease carbon emissions. It is largely accepted that individuals, businesses and institutions need to decrease their energy utilization in order to lower carbon dioxide emissions Decreased utilization can be achieved by using nonpolluting sustainable sources of energy.

3 Sustainable energy comes from sources which replenish themselves within a short period of time and usually produce fewer CO2 emissions. The options for sustainable energy are water, wind, sun and biomass. At this time, for practical and economic reasons geothermal energy is the most viable option for residential use. As outlined in Keith McNenlyʼs document - Sustainability? the Town of Mono has a wonderful history of protecting the environment in an economically sustainable manner. A logical progression of this history would be to promote initiatives designed to decrease global warming. A major initiative is the promotion of the use of sustainable energy for residential heating. Geothermal heating and cooling is the strongest option as a source of sustainable energy. The geothermal process extracts the energy that earth or water has absorbed from the sun and uses this energy for heating. The energy that is required to operate the geothermal system is electrical. The process is highly efficient, producing three to four times the amount of energy which is required to operate the geothermal furnace. It is a practical system in a rural setting, as it requires space for piping which is laid in the ground or water. Currently, with a $7,000 government rebate and a return of sales tax the payback time is quite reasonable. There is a sixty year history of use. During this time the technology and commercially available equipment has become highly developed. The committeeʼs recommendation is that the Town of Mono adopt a policy for the promotion of the use of sustainable energy for residential use. 2. Purpose of This Document The objective of this paper is to assess the potential for the Town of Mono to promote the use of sustainable energy, specifically geothermal energy within our community. The specific thrust of the document is to assess the practicality and economic feasibility of geothermal energy 3. The Concept of Renewable Energy The concept of renewable (sustainable) energy is that the source of the energy does not get depleted over time. Fossil fuels are non-renewable since the source (e.g. an oil field) will be depleted over time and will not replenish itself. By depleting these resources we leave future generations without this form of energy. The additional concern with fossil fuels is that their combustion produces carbon dioxide (CO2) a substance which is partly responsible for global warming. 4. Renewable Energy Possibilities

4 The sources of renewable energy are biomass, wind, water, and the sun. As biomass also produces CO2 it is not as desirable as wind, sun and water, which are often referred to as green energy since they leave a smaller environmental foot print. Wind is being harnessed in selected parts of Dufferin County on a commercial scale. For technical reasons it is not easily applicable to residential settings. Water supplied energy is usually possible only on a commercial scale. The sun is a renewable source that is both plentiful and environmentally friendly. It can be used to heat buildings, heat water and to generate electricity. Using photovoltaic panels the generation of electricity is moderately efficient, however the panels are costly in comparison with the present cost of electricity on the grid. At present photovoltaic panels are not an economically viable technology for the community of Mono - although this will likely change as cheaper more efficient panels are developed and a more supportive payment system is offered by hydro suppliers. The sun can be a very effective source of direct heat, as a passive source of energy through effective building design and as a source of heat which is actively collected. Collectors which heat water and technologies that concentrate solar radiation through large curved dishes are viable. This heat is most easily collected for the purpose of heating of tap water. This technology is being developed commercially. Units for heating tap water presently cost $ 7-10,000. These units need to be supplemented by a standard water heater for cloudy weather and during the winter. The economic incentive appears to be modest. This technology might be looked at again in a few years. The heat on the upper 150ʼ of the earthʼs surface is acquired from the sun. This heat can be collected by circulating fluid through pipes which are laid in the ground. The heat is then extracted with a heat pump. This process, which is called geothermal heating, is used to supply heat to a building through a forced air ducts or through the circulation of heated water. The term geothermal furnace is used interchangeably with ground source heat pump. 5. Primer on the Science of Geothermal Heating A heat pump, as the name suggests, is a device that "pumps" heat from one location to another. The most well-known heat pump is air-to-air. Heat is extracted from air and expelled into air. This occurs in an air conditioner and in a refrigerator where the pump is used to extract heat from the inside of a building or refrigerator and place the heat outside of the building or refrigerator. When geo hermal technology is used for heating a building, the heat pump usually extracts its heat from liquid rather than from air, as this is a more efficient process than air-to-air. The liquid which contains the source of the heat can be in a closed loop system or, less commonly in an open loop. Closed loop systems involve separate but connected loops. Most commonly these loops are buried horizontally about 6 ft below the ground surface. The loops can also

5 be placed vertically in drill holes or coiled and placed in a pond or lake. Ethanol is pumped through the loops. There are differing opinions about the required size of a closed loop system. A large area of ground is required for a horizontal system. To some extent, the wider that the loops are spread apart the more heat that the system will pick up from the ground. On average four to six loops each being 250ʼ long will be required. The loops are each placed in trenches. A horizontal system is suitable for a rural location where ground space is available. If a vertical system is used the drill holes are usually 250ʼ deep, and four to six holes are frequently used. Drill holes can be placed as close as 10 ʻ from each other and are thus suited for urban areas. The use of vertical drill holes is usually more expensive than a horizontal system (approximately an additional $1,500 per 250ʼ hole). An open loop system is a loop placed between a water source and a discharge area. Open loops operate off of a well or a large body of water such as a lake or pond. The water is collected from the well or pond and pumped to the heat pump and then discharged to its original source or to another location. The piping for such a configuration is open at both ends and the water is utilized only once. This system is less expensive as there is less pipe to be laid. However, open loop systems may become less desirable in the future if municipal metering of private water supplies comes into effect. In a closed loop system, the furnace extracts heat from the ethanol, chilling the ethanol as it goes through the heat pump. The cooled ethanol is then passed back through the ground loops where it gets reheated to the temperature of the ground. The extracted heat is then boosted by the compressor and distributed to the house. The heat is usually distributed through a forced air system or through radiators. The process is similar with an open system, except that water is removed from a well or pond and brought to the heat pump and is then discharged and not used again. The success of the heat pump process is dependent on a supply of liquid which can be cooled and a temperature boosting process. Heat is extracted from the loops at a relatively low temperature and is boosted to a higher level to heat a building. For example, two deg C. ethanol (a likely ground temperature in late winter) can easily be boosted to 30 deg Cʼ and transfered to air or water and be passed through the heating ducts or radiators of a house. This boost is carried out by a compressor and refrigerant. In the process of compression and expansion of the refrigerant from liquid to gas and back to liquid, heat is alternatively given off and absorbed. Absorbed heat is then released when the refrigerant is compressed and is transferred to the houses heating system. A geothermal energy system requires electrical energy to operate. This energy is used mostly to power the compressor. A small amount of electricity is used to run the circulating pump for the loops and the fan for the forced air system. In most systems the amount of heat energy produced is three to four times as much as the amount of electrical energy required to run the system. This is the advantage of geothermal heating. Home electrical costs will increase as a Geo furnace requires electricity to

6 operate. This cost will be more than offset by the savings from not needing a hydrocarbon fuel. It is 60 years since the first geothermal furnace was created. Over the years the technology has become increasingly sophisticated. Standards have been created and training courses offered for the industry by The Canadian Geo Exchange Coalition (CGEC) The furnace systems are now developed to a high standard of reliable and carry long term warranties by companies who have a long history in the business. Installations are usually done by heating companies who have specialized in geothermal installations and are cetified by the CGEC. The loop systems use a type of plastic tubing which has an estimated 100 year life span. This is now an established technology. As this is a new technology to most home owner who are contemplating geothermal energy, they will need to educate themselves in order to obtain the system which is most satisfactory for their home. Educational material is available on the internet. See publication Heating and Cooling With a Heat Pump, Natural Resources Canadaʼs Office of Energy Efficiency - and An Information Survival kit for the Prospective Geothermal Heat pump Owner by Kevin Rafferty at 6. Practical Issues that the Homeowner and Installer must Consider Selection of the size of furnace must be done carefully. Furnaces are rated in tons with most home size furnaces between four to six ton units. If forced air is used, the forced air ducts must be large enough to handle the increased air flow or they will produce noise? The loop design and number of loops will need to fit the size of the furnace and the available land or water and soil type. The experience of the installer. 7. Pros and cons of a Geothermal installation Advantages of a geothermal furnace 1. Savings in operating costs 2. Increased property values 3. Hedge against inflation of energy costs 4. Decrease CO2 production and environmental damage 5. Steady heat production without significant tempeerature fluctuations Disadvantage of geothermal Furnace

7 1. High initial capital cost 2. Disruption of ground for loop placement 3. Possibility of noise production if forced air ducts are small. 4. As a largely unknown technology consumers need to educated themselves before purchase. 5. The many variables involved (furnace manufacturer, furnace size. loop number, placement and type, heating duct or radiator modifications) may result in a variety of conflicting recommendations from different installers 8. Economic analysis Current Rebates per installation: Federal Govt. $3,500 Provincial govt. $3,500 Provincial sales tax The payback time is the years that it takes to to recover the capital cost of the geothermal furnace through savings in fuel costs. After the payback time the heating and cooling costs of the furnace can be considered to be only that of the electrical cost to operate the furnace The payback time depends on four variables - interest rates, fossil fuel costs, electricity costs and the net cost of the geothermal system. 1. The interest rate affects the cost of a loan for purchase of a geothermal system or, if cash is paid for the system rather than investing the capital elsewhere the interest rate affects the income yield after tax. 2. The annual net savings on heating costs will depend on the current costs of electricity and of hydrocarbon fuel. (Assuming little difference in maintenance cost) 3. The net cost of the furnace is the actual cost less rebates less the cost of an alternative oil or gas furnace if a replacement of an aging furnace is necessary.

8 Example: Net savings on heating cost. If 2000 L of fuel oil is saved and 7000 kwh of additional electricity is used. This is representative of the fuel saved and increased electrical volumes with a GT furnace in a home of 2200 sq. ft. See table 1. when oil is $1.00/ l. and electricity is $ 0.12 per kwh, the annual saving is $1,160. (June 2009) Note the differences in savings with different prices of oil and electricity - table 1. Table 1 - Net Savings on Heating Costs (dollars) Net Savings Calculation - dollars Oil Furnace Oil (liters) 2000 Geothermal Electricity (kwh) 7000 Electrical cost (kwh) $ 0.10 $ 0.11 $ 0.12 $ 0.13 $ 0.14 $ 0.15 Oil Cost /l $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ In 2008, four well known and reputable GT installers working in the Town of Mono were asked to recommend an installation for a specific 2200 sq.ft. house using either a closed horizontal loop system or an open pond system. The estimated cost before rebates and including taxes were from $21,690 to $28,000. If the least expensive system is selected the net cost of the GT furnace is $8,690, (furnace cost less govt. rebates less cost of purchase of an alternative $6,000 oil or gas furnace). See table 2 - In 2008, when the savings on heating costs was $1,560 and interest rates were 5%, the time to payback was 6.5 years. (shaded square). However with dropping fossil fuel costs, the savings on heating costs in June 2009 was $1,160. With these decreased savings and lower interest rates the payback time in June 2009 was approximately 9 years. Table 2 - Time for Payback, (years)

9 Net Cost $8,690 Savings/yr $ 600 $ 800 $ 1,000 $ 1,200 $ 1,400 $ 1,600 $ 1,800 $ 2,000 Interest R 3.5% % % % % % % % For further information on using the tables see below. Further information on how to use the tables to calculate the time for payback of the geothermal heating system. 1) Calculate your annual net savings using the net savings calculation table. The savings will depend on the relative costs of oil or gas vs. electricity. Determine your current heating costs and estimate the increased electricity usage, (approximately 7000 kwh for a 2000 sq. ft. house) 2) select the interest rates for a loan to purchase the system or interest lost on the capital required to purchase a geothermal system, 3) From table 2 - Time for Payback, find the payback time at the intersection of your selected interest rate and yearly savings. Not included in these calculations are the cost savings from the electricity previously required to operate the previous oil or gas furnace or the savings through decreased air conditioning costs. 9. Possible Courses of Action for the Town of Mono Adopt a policy for the promotion of the use of sustainable energy for residential use based on the following four Es: 1. Educate Provide educational material on the Town website with links to other sites that promote geothermal energy.

10 Provide brochures at the Town office that explain what Geothermal is and financial scenarios explaining how Geothermal is a sound heating solution and financial investment. 2. Encourage 3. Example Town staff should/could actively promote Geothermal solutions when processing building approval applications and subdivision developments. Provide information materials from government and energy suppliers regarding rebates for the installation of a geothermal furnace. Initiate a program to convert existing town facilities from conventional heating sources to geothermal heating. Take advantage of government rebates and/or grants where possible and warranted. 4. Endowment Pursue government grants (as they become available) to assist homeowners.

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