GSHP technology has been around for a long time, and this longevity has allowed some misleading & false impressions to circulate concerning the installation & operation of a GSHP system.

The following points are intended to provide some clarity into perceived problems in the residential sector, so the potential value for GSHP tech in any situation can be assessed properly & factually:

GSHP tech is expensive to install.  Most of the cost for a system is due to the cost of trenching horizontal loops or drilling vertical boreholes, so that final pricetag can be high if the size of property is small or if there is limited access for equipment.  The cost can be much lower if GSHP tech is installed during construction of the home, when excavation equipment & workers are on site and before the grounds are landscaped.

GSHP tech is expensive to operate.  Federal regulations require units to have a minimum COP efficiency of 3.6 (can be as high as 5.0), which means a GSHP system will produce 3.6 kWh of thermal energy for every 1 kWh consumed to operate its electro-mechanical components.  If the local utility offers cheaper rates for off-peak power use, that price to operate can be very low.

GSHP tech does not work in cold weather.  If designed & installed correctly, a GSHP system will produce 100% of the thermal energy demand for the house, regardless of exterior temperature.  Many systems are 'under-designed' to meet less than full demand, so less loop needs to be installed and the final price is lower.  (The efficiency of an air source heat pump decreases continuously until -25^oC, when the unit cannot extract thermal heat from the ambient air.)

GSHP tech needs government grants.  Public awareness of the technology's value is low, so the industry relies on external rebates to entice consumers.  This can result in the sticker price rising almost as much as the incentive, which is good for industry profits but not the intent of public support and not a good long-term strategy.

GSHP tech is ugly.  Once the loop (horizontal or vertical) is buried in the ground and the compressor is installed in the basement, there is nothing to see.  (An air source heat pump is mounted outside the house, where it could be considered to be non-attractive.)

GSHP tech cannot prove its thermal output.  Numerous methods can calculate the amount of thermal energy that will be needed, and meters can show the production of thermal kWh in real time.  This device would also facilitate the use of a Production Thermal Credit (which is provided to wind & solar production) where GSHP tech would receive an incentive based on its verified production of renewable energy.

GSHP tech puts a strain on the power grid.  A system requires electricity to operate but it can be designed to work primarily at night when power rates are low due to surplus capacity on the grid.  This will avoid storage of non-dispatchable electricity and smooth the demand curve.

GSHP tech is noisy.  There is no sound from the fluid circulating through the ground loop, and the box in the basement is insulated to minimize noise.  (An air source heat pump emits a high noise when it operates outside the house, where it often is situated close to a neighbour's window.)

GSHP tech transfers energy.  The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed.  GSHP tech produces its thermal energy from the solar insolation absorbed in the ground, but the system involves numerous compressors & motors which preclude use of the term 'transfer'.  Verbs such as 'transform' or 'convert' could suffice, but the most accurate description of the process is 'produce'.

GSHP tech only works during daylight hours.  Time of day has no relevance for GSHP tech, which can be programmed to operate during overnight hours if the goal is to consume grid electricity at a lower TOU price.

GSHP tech does not produce renewable energy.  The thermal output is produced from the sun's energy stored in the ground.  A small portion (5%) of output comes from the heat of the compressor, but the vast majority is solar energy.

GSHP tech does not work in subsidized housing.  Assuming the building is energy efficient, GSHP tech offers the lowest operating cost of all options (except if you're burning free wood from your property).  If the housing is to be subsidized for any period of time, GSHP tech should be the primary choice because it will require the least level of financial support from tax monies.

GSHP tech does not store energy.  Production of electricity from wind & solar requires the use of lithium batteries to compensate for no wind / no sunlight.  GSHP tech produces its thermal energy from the solar energy stored in the earth at any time of day or night, and is considered fully dispatchable.

GSHP tech is not suitable for large buildings.  Many commercial buildings in Toronto are cooled via the deep lake water system.  The Museum of Canadian History is conditioned by water from the Ottawa River, but there are no details on the GSHP system despite years of lobbying for the facility to include signage or meters to show taxpayers how cost & emissions have been reduced.  Parliament Hill is installing a major GSHP system, but the Senate newsletter is the only source of information on this initiative.  Any internet search will show how many large buildings in Canada have installed GSHP tech to reduce costs and minimize emissions.

GSHP tech will require more generating facilities.  Most electric vehicles are charged from the grid, and GSHP tech requires this same source of power to operate its electrical components.  If properly designed, GSHP tech can consume most of its electricity during off-peak TOU periods, which means the utility can minimize its expansion of generating capacity for level demand.  As society eliminates fossil fuels for many applications, a key goal must be to minimize electricity demand in peak periods.

GSHP tech is not relevant to energy & environmental challenges.  In the average Canadian household, the thermal load of space heating, cooling & water heating consumes 81% of secondary energy, and emits 87% of its carbon (NRCan 2022).  If all households used GSHP tech to produce their thermal energy demand, the annual output would be 327 billion kWh and they would offset the emission of 48 billion kg of carbon each year.  For comparison, electricity generated from wind turbines & solar panels in Canada was 43 billion kWh (StatsCan 2022).

GSHP tech has too many terms.   This is true; it is not a misperception.  The industry has failed to agree on a single unified marketing term to describe its technology, so titles such as ground source, water source, geothermal, earth energy & geoexchange compete to confuse consumers.

More about GSHP tech & performance is available from Natural Resources Canada.

This list of misperceptions is compiled by NetZeroPLUS Canada, an association with a mission to improve accuracy & transparency in the consumption of thermal energy.  If you have suggestions for other misconceptions which impede the transition to renewable energy options, send to  GSHP@email.com