Module Description
This module equips learners to design, model, simulate, and optimize geothermal or ground-source heat pump (GHP/GSHP) systems for sustainable buildings. It covers shallow geothermal principles, heat-pump operation, ground thermal behavior, horizontal and vertical ground heat exchangers, energy piles and other thermo-active geostructures, system sizing, analytical methods, TRNSYS and COMSOL simulation, and optimization. The module connects component-level thermal design with whole-building performance and long-term ground response.
For Mediterranean applications, cooling-dominated loads, limited
urban land, high electricity demand, and seasonal heat-rejection imbalance can
strongly influence GSHP feasibility. Using research case studies developed for
Beirut, learners compare vertical boreholes, horizontal loops, hybrid
configurations, and energy geostructures; quantify coefficient of performance
(COP), electricity use, lifecycle economics, CO2 emissions, and
ground-temperature evolution; and assess practical design constraints. The
module emphasizes validated modeling and optimization so that claimed energy,
economic, and environmental benefits can be supported by transparent
performance evaluation.
Key
Content Topics:
- Fundamentals of Geothermal Heat Pump Systems and Mediterranean Relevance
- Ground Heat Exchangers and Thermo-Active Geostructures
- Design and Sizing of Geothermal Heat Pump Systems
- Analytical, Numerical, and Dynamic Modeling (TRNSYS / COMSOL)
- Optimization and Hybrid Geothermal Heat Pump Configurations
- Energy, Economic, Environmental, and Long-Term Performance Evaluation
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze the operating principles, components, and configurations of geothermal/ground-source heat pump systems for sustainable building heating and cooling.
- Evaluate building thermal loads, ground thermal properties, and site constraints to select an appropriate horizontal, vertical, hybrid, or geostructural ground heat exchanger configuration.
- Design and size ground heat exchangers using appropriate engineering and analytical methods while considering borehole or trench geometry and long-term ground-temperature behavior.
- Develop and interpret analytical, TRNSYS, and numerical/COMSOL models for predicting GSHP and geothermal heat exchanger performance, including model validation and sensitivity analysis.
- Assess and optimize geothermal systems using energy, economic, environmental, and, where applicable, thermo-mechanical/geostructural performance criteria.
- Develop and justify a geothermal heat pump solution for a Mediterranean building and quantitatively compare its performance with a conventional air-source heat pump baseline using defined performance indicators.
