EarthLinked® awards and case studies
U.S. EPA verified 75% savings of
electrical energy and greenhouse gases
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Technology Center conducted a 15-month test of the EarthLinked® Commercial Water Heating system performance. The system includes:
- an EarthLinked heat pump;
- an earth loop cluster that circulates non-ozone depleting refrigerant (R-407c) in standard copper refrigeration tubing to extract heat from the shallow earth; and
- a double-walled refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger.
The test was conducted in an assisted living facility in Sun City Center, Florida. The system was connected to a standard electric water heater tank that stores the heated water. Although the tank is capable of providing supplemental heat, it was never required to do so during the test.
As hot water is used in the building, city water enters the system, passes through the heat exchanger, and is stored in the standard tank. The temperature of the city water entering the system is 72°F (22°C). The return temperature to the heat exchanger from the continuous building circulation system is 94°F (34°C), and the delivered water temperature is limited to 110°F (43°C). That temperature was selected by the owner to comply with governmental regulation. Short-term tests were conducted to monitor system capacity and efficiency, taking the temperature up to 130°F (54°F). Comparative tests were conducted using the standard electric resistance elements of the water tank exclusively. Then long-term testing of the EarthLinked system was conducted for many months.
The EPA report verifies 75% savings of electrical energy by the EarthLinked system in comparison with electric resistance water heating. By avoiding the generation of that amount of electricity, a typical EarthLinked unit avoids the emission of 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and 15 pounds of nitrous oxide per ton of capacity per year, which amounts to 42,000 pounds of CO2 and 90 pounds of NOX each year by a typical 6-ton capacity EarthLinked unit. That is equivalent to not burning 3,642 gallons of gasoline or 74 barrels of oil annually.
Click to read the full report.
Demonstration and monitoring projects
In 1984, EarthLinked Technologies began demonstrating its products through electric utilities and independent programs including:
- 1984: The most energy efficient water heater tested at the Florida Solar Energy Center. The EarthLinked Technologies heat pump water heater was 400% more efficient than electric resistance water heaters. Read summary.
- 1989: A project monitored by Lakeland Electric where the unit achieved an HSPF (Heating Season Performance Factor) of 18.1 and a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) of 13.6 in 1988 resulted in The Energy Innovation Award to ECR (EarthLinked Technologies) by the Governor of Florida. Read summary..
- 1990: Consumers Power Co. of Michigan reported 12-month test which showed the EarthLinked system 25% more energy efficient than all other 20 Geo systems tested. Read summary.
- 1991: The certification of a 10.4% heating efficiency gain in an ETL Testing Laboratory test of EarthLinked Technologies' controls in an ASHP retrofit. (Testing of subsequently improved controls is anticipated to show 15% system efficiency gains in heating and cooling.)
- 1992: A project funded by Florida Power Corporation to test a standard 2-ton ASHP modified with EarthLinked Technologies' controls at the University of Central Florida showed 10% heating and 13% cooling season efficiency improvements.
- 1996: The successful operation of an EarthLinked unit began in the Concept Home of Heritage Homes in Maple Glen, PA that performs four functions: forced air heating and cooling; alternatively providing heat to a hydronic radiant in-floor heating system; and integrated domestic water heating. No other company has this capability without the use of expensive electronic controls.
- 2003: The successful performance of EarthLinked systems using R-407C for water heating, and space heating and cooling in field tests sponsored by Connecticut Light & Power Company. Read summary.
- 2006: A 6-ton EarthLinked Commercial Water Heating system was installed in a 12-unit condominium building to pre-heat domestic hot water in one of the buildings. The system performance was monitored by the electric utility, Public Service Company of New Hampshire. Read summary.
- 2006: The successful U.S. EPA test described above. Read summary.
- 2007: A 21,000 square foot Ace Hardware store in the northeastern U.S. is saving an average of more than $1,000 per month in heating and cooling costs by using six 6-ton EarthLinked systems. Read summary.
Test sponsors
To prove the efficiency and reliability of its technology, EarthLinked Technologies has performed demonstration projects sponsored by:
- Connecticut Light & Power, Connecticut
- Consumers Power Co., Michigan
- Florida Power & Light Co., Florida
- Florida Power Corp., Florida
- Lakeland Electric, Florida
- National Rural Electric Cooperative
- Oklahoma Gas & Electric
- Public Service of New Hampshire
- South Carolina Governor's Energy Office
- U.S. EPA
