A comparative study of the status of GSHP applications in the United States and China

Ground source heat pump (GSHP) or geothermal heat pump technology was first developed and commercially introduced in the late 1970s, and GSHP units representing approximately 3.9 million tons of cooling had been installed in the United States by 2012. Applications of GSHP technology also have grown rapidly in China since it was introduced into China in the 1990s through collaboration between the Chinese and US governments. It is estimated that by 2013, about 400 million m² (4.3 billion ft²) of building floor space in China was heated and/or cooled by GSHP systems. Governments in both China and the United States have programs that in some way support and/or promote the use of GSHP technology. After decades of practice, both countries have accumulated abundant experience in applying GSHP technology, but both also are confronted with various challenges to rapidly deploying this technology. Under the sponsorship of the US-China Clean Energy Research Center for Building Energy Efficiency, researchers reviewed and compared the current status of GSHP applications in the United States and China, including related policies, standards, technologies, equipment, costs, market development, and barriers. Based on this comparative study, future collaborations between the two countries are recommended to improve the application of the GSHP technology and fully realize its energy saving potential.