SPRINGFIELD, Ill. —The Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEO) provided comments to a California Energy Commission (CEC) Workshop Docket, addressing problems with the Title 24 energy code for building permits that limits the use of geothermal heat pumps in the state.
“California is a state of diversity — in its geography, population, and industries,” said Doug Dougherty, president, GEO. “GEO believes the same must hold true for energy sources if the state is to achieve its energy-efficiency, carbon-reduction, water-conservation, and net-zero building goals for the future.”
The current Title 24 energy code does not recognize the efficiency of geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) and the contribution they could make to California’s energy goals. This is in spite of the fact that more than 1 million GHP systems are in place across North America, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes GHPs as the most cost-effective carbon-reducing strategy for space conditioning and water heating.
“With other geothermal heat pump industry stakeholders, GEO asks for a blanket approval of GHPs in the current and future versions of Title 24 code until the CEC can develop an alternative compliance method for the technology,” said Dougherty. “Simply defaulting to a fossil fuel — natural gas produced primarily by fracking with its high release of ‘leaked’ methane — is unacceptable both in terms of its own contribution to greenhouse gases and its future cost to the citizens of California.”
To read GEO’s comments in their entirety, visit http://bit.ly/GEOCECTitle24.
Publication date: 5/11/2015
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