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Ron342 · 02-26-15, 11:01 AM

From their website it looks like the Alberta installation only insulates the top of their field and unless they have dry maybe sandy soil down to the 35 meter bottom of the field, you would think it would be a losing proposition. Looks like it works for them tho.
I would think that in not so cold weather, an insulated storage tank to store any daytime solar heat beyond dhw use maybe could be used later that nite to further heat the ground loop water before it goes to the heat pump.
A bunch of years ago a friend wound up with an extended hoe backhoe - since it was sitting around my plan was to get him to dig the widest deepest hole he could (mostly clay here in Maryland guys) line the bottom and sides with 6 or 8 inches of sheet foam, dump the dirt back in with some poly pipe coils circling the inside and cover the top with more foam and a final layer of maybe 18" of dirt and heat the insulated mass of dirt with the excess in summer from my solar hot water system and maybe some added panels , then use the stored heat in a ground water heat pump the following winter.
I figured I would be only out some diesel fuel and beer and maybe $500 for foam and pipe and that it might last thru December.
Sadly tho he managed too sell it before I finished the heat flow math! I wonder if anyone has tried it?

02-26-15, 11:01 AM	#17
Ron342 Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Maryland Posts: 120 Thanks: 26 Thanked 12 Times in 8 Posts	Ground storage From their website it looks like the Alberta installation only insulates the top of their field and unless they have dry maybe sandy soil down to the 35 meter bottom of the field, you would think it would be a losing proposition. Looks like it works for them tho. I would think that in not so cold weather, an insulated storage tank to store any daytime solar heat beyond dhw use maybe could be used later that nite to further heat the ground loop water before it goes to the heat pump. A bunch of years ago a friend wound up with an extended hoe backhoe - since it was sitting around my plan was to get him to dig the widest deepest hole he could (mostly clay here in Maryland guys) line the bottom and sides with 6 or 8 inches of sheet foam, dump the dirt back in with some poly pipe coils circling the inside and cover the top with more foam and a final layer of maybe 18" of dirt and heat the insulated mass of dirt with the excess in summer from my solar hot water system and maybe some added panels , then use the stored heat in a ground water heat pump the following winter. I figured I would be only out some diesel fuel and beer and maybe $500 for foam and pipe and that it might last thru December. Sadly tho he managed too sell it before I finished the heat flow math! I wonder if anyone has tried it?