- By:
- Prem Anand Jayaprabha, Jyothis Anand ; Liu, Xiaobing ; Forman, Wesley C; Esser, Hayden R; Malhotra, Mini
- Page Number:
- 1-9
- Book Title:
- 2026 ASHRAE Annual Conference Proceedings
- Publication Date:
- September 16, 2026
- Publisher Location:
- ASHRAE, Georgia, United States of America
- Conference Name:
- 2026 ASHRAE Annual Conference
- Conference Location:
- Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Conference Sponsor:
- ASHRAE
Abstract
This study evaluates how improving building envelopes can reduce thermal loads and, subsequently, the size and cost of ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. The building envelope enhancements analyzed include adding insulation to walls and/or roofs, minimizing uncontrolled outdoor air infiltration, and installing high-performance windows. The investigation utilizes GeoWISE, a pioneering, web-based platform designed for rapid techno-economic assessments of GSHP applications across various building types. GeoWISE offers advanced capabilities, including auto-sizing of heat pumps and borehole heat exchangers for specific buildings, simulating GSHP and other HVAC system performance, and modeling building envelope improvements. It integrates cutting-edge modeling tools such as AutoBEM for automated building energy model generation, OpenStudio and EnergyPlus for detailed HVAC equipment sizing and whole-building energy simulations, and GHEDesigner for streamlined borehole field design that accounts for site-specific constraints. By leveraging GeoWISE for this study, the findings emphasize the benefits of a holistic design approach, especially for deep building retrofits, that can lead to more cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions.
