A closed-loop ground source ("geothermal") heating system uses the earth as a heat cource in the winter and as a heat sink in the summer. The heat transfer agent is an antifreeze solution (or refrigerant) that is recirculated in piping buried at a depth > 2m. The best Linde-type heat pumps on the market for this application have a heating afficiency (" coefficient of performance ", COP) of 5.0, calculated based on an entering antifreeze temperature of 0 degree and an output temperature of 35 degree
a) About 1.30X10^4 KWh of energy is required per year to heat a mid-size house in Thunder Bay. How much would thid cost using electtrical heating with 100% efficiency (based on the current cost of 0.16kWh?
b) By comparison, what would it cost to heat the home using a ground source heating system with an electrically powered heat pump that has a COP of 5.0?
c) Is there room for improvement? How efficient is this heat pump compared wit an "ideal" heat pump operating between 0 to 35 degrees?