A highly effective heating and cooling device with an expanding market base, the geotheral heat pump uses the earth rather than air as the heat source or heat sink. Heat is transferred from the ground to a house during winter, and from the house to the ground in the summer.
The award will assist two California entities, the Truckee-Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD) and the Davis-based Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) to go full steam in delivering reasonably-cost and expert training to California designers, architects, local officials and construction and utility workers who design, install and operate geotheral heat pumps. Both entities will provide matching funds of $402,000.
Commission funding will support the purchase of two mobile field laboratories, instructional equipment, material development and program management essential to the training.
As envisioned by the lead agencies, the training will be held in conjunction with several of the state's major utilities whose peak power demand could be greatly reduced by the new technology.
The Commission said the training program will help establish the infrastructure for the technology and provide a cadre of trained instructors who are skilled in the workings of the geotheral heat pumps.
For further information, contact:
Scott Terrell, Truckee-Donner Public Utility District, (916) 582-3931
David Anderson, Geothermal Energy Association, (916) 758-2360
Claudia Chandler, Assistant Director, California Energy Commission, (916) 654-4989
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