The space would primarily be used for equipment and machinery, as well as an office.
To maximize energy efficiency for heating and cooling this type of space, our team incorporated two key technical elements in the system design. First, we leveraged high-quality ground-source heat pump technology, which delivers 700 per cent efficiency. This efficiency rating means that for every kilowatt (kW) of electricity used to run the geothermal heat pump, 7kWs of heat energy is pulled from below the earth’s surface to heat the building.
Next, we installed in-floor heating – specifically a geothermal radiant water-to-water heating system – throughout the entire building. Commercial buildings often have high ceilings; in this case, the ceiling height was over 20 feet. In-floor heating keeps heat between the floor and eye level, meaning most of the heat generated by the system is always within a usable space.
This approach leads to higher efficiency than a forced-air or ductwork heating system, which is impacted by warm air rising. Commercial or industrial buildings with high ceilings often need to overcompensate for this heat loss rising out of the level where people are working. Installing in-floor heating throughout the large building enables the system to produce the exact amount of heating required within the working space so that our customer can benefit from increased energy efficiency and significant cost savings in the long term.