Howdy brunet182712-ga,
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has the following "rules of
thumb" for sizing a geothermal system by "tons" needed.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/heatcool/hc_space_geothermal_sizing.html
"To get a rough approximation of the size system your home or business would
require, DOE's Federal Energy Management Program estimates that you will need
a ton of capacity for every 550 square feet in heating-dominated climates, and
a ton for every 450 square feet in cooling-dominated climates."
You are in a "heating-dominated" (or cold) area, so you would need at least a
5 ton system. The above web site has more information available through its
home page.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/heatcool/hc_space_geothermal.html
The Geo-Heat Center site has more information.
http://geoheat.oit.edu/ghp/ghptable.htm
Something you might consider is using two smaller units instead of just one
large one. From the Geo-Heat Center web site.
http://geoheat.oit.edu/ghp/faq/faq16.htm
There are several reasons why it may be advisable to use two smaller units
than one large one. The use of two or more small units is referred to in
the HVAC trade as 'zoning.' Generally a separate zone is established if one
or more of the following criteria apply: the area has a specific use distinct
from the rest of the home (mother-in-law's apartment), the area is maintained
at a distinct temperature (basement), a separate level of the home (2nd floor
bedrooms).
An additional reason for using two systems is that the equipment of many
manufacturers falls off in performance above four tons. As a result, the
use of two 3-ton units is likely to yield a higher performance than a single
6- or 7-ton unit. This performance difference, however, is not sufficient to
justify the additional cost of the 2-system design."
If you need clarification, please feel free to ask.
Search strategy:
Google search on: geothermal heating cooling calculations tons
://www.google.com/search?q=geothermal+heating+cooling+calculations+tons
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher |
