Commercial
Our Fleet
Our commercial fleet includes 4 Schramm T450 drill rigs and 1 simco drill rig.
Thermal Conductivity
K2 Geothermal offers full service thermal conductivity testing. We have an in-house GeoCube testing module and can set-up, run tests for recommended 48 hours, analyze the data and can provide a report in as little as 2 weeks from the time the test well is drilled. Information provided includes undisturbed ground temperature, thermal conductivity of the formation, estimated thermal diffusivity, and formation logs.
Well Drilling
Our commercial drilling team is experienced in drilling in all types of ground conditions. From projects ranging from 8 loops to over 1000 loops, there is no job too big or too small for us to handle. Typical commercial wells, or loops are installed 300-400′ below grade. One of our largest jobs to date was the installation of 225 wells, each 725 feet in depth for the Nebraska state capital which consisted of drilling and piping over 26 miles of pipe.
Loop Installation
A ground loop is a series of pipes buried underground at a depth where temperatures stay consistent year-round. It serves as the critical link allowing geothermal heat pumps to use the earth as a heat source or heat sink, depending on if heating or cooling is required.
Vertical Loop
Your loop system is the heart of geothermal technology. Regardless of the option you select, it will deliver over 300% efficient comfort and savings for many years into the future.
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Your local geothermal dealer will help you select the proper loop system based on a site survey and by conducting a detailed energy analysis of your home. Installing a geothermal loop system is like getting a 70% discount on energy for the life of your home.
Horizontal Loop
This is the most common loop used when adequate land area is available. Loop installers use excavation equipment such as chain trenchers, backhoes and track hoes.
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This equipment digs trenches approximately 6-8 feet deep. Trench lengths range from 100 to 300 feet, depending on the loop design and application.
Pond Loop
A pond loop is an option if a large body of water is available within approximately 200 feet of the home. A ½ acre, 8 to 10 foot deep body of water is usually adequate to support the average home.
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The system uses coils of pipe typically 300 to 500 feet in length. The coils are placed in and anchored at the bottom of the body of water.
Open Loop
This system can be installed if an abundant supply of high quality well water is available. A typical home will require 4 to 8 gallons of water per minute.
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A proper discharge area such as a river, drainage ditch, field tile, stream, pond, or lake must be present. Check your local codes for restrictions before selecting a specific discharge method.
How does a ground loop work?
Just a few feet below the ground’s surface, the earth maintains a steady 50-55 degrees no matter what the temperature of the outside air.
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This difference in temperature allows the earth to act as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer. A geothermal heat pump (located inside the home) captures this energy by circulating thermally conductive fluid through the buried ground loop.
In winter, the fluid absorbs heat from the warmer earth and carries it into the heat pump, where it enters a heat exchanger and is used to warm your home.
o In summer, the process is reversed when the home’s heat is captured and released into the cooler ground, leaving your home comfortably air-conditioned.
Closed Loop Geothermal Systems
There are 3 types of closed loop geothermal systems: vertical, horizontal, and pond / lake.
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Because pond/lake loops require having a water source on the property, they’re relatively uncommon, and we don’t discuss them in detail.
Horizontal Group Loop
A horizontal ground loop is installed over a wide area of ground and requires enough space to dig trenches hundreds of feet long and 6-10 feet deep.
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Horizontal ground loops can only be used when adequate yard space is available, and trenches are easy to dig.
Horizontal Ground Loop Installation
To install a horizontal system, workers utilize trenchers or backhoes to dig trenches 5-10 feet below ground and then install a series of plastic pipes that comprise the geothermal heat exchanger.
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They will then backfill the trench, taking care not to allow sharp rocks or debris to damage the pipes. A common practice is to coil the pipe into a slinky shape to fit the loop field in a smaller area. While doing this reduces the amount of land area needed, it will require installation of more pipe.
This configuration is usually the most cost effective because it requires trenching rather than drilling.
Vertical Ground Loop
A vertical ground loop is installed in one or more boreholes about 200 to 500 feet deep in the ground.
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Each hole is 5 to 6 inches in diameter, and if you have more than one, they’re about 20 feet apart. This configuration is ideal for homes where yard space is limited, when rock formations are very close to the surface, or retrofit applications where minimum disruption of the landscaping is desired.
Vertical Ground Loop Installation
To install a vertical loop, a contractor will use well-drilling equipment to bore a 6-8 inch diameter vertical hole in the ground 200-500 feet deep.
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Next, a single pipe loop with a U-bend at the bottom is inserted in the hole. After the pipe is inserted, the hole will be grouted, filling it from bottom to top.
The grout serves two primary functions:
- Ensures contact between the pipes and the earth to promote heat transfer.
- Seals the hole off from any aquifers or groundwater supplies that may have been penetrated during the drilling process. Protecting the deep earth environment with a proper grouting material is just as important as providing heat transfer between the piping system and the surrounding earth.
Vertical loops are generally more expensive to install but require less piping and less land area than horizontal loops. Dandelion Geothermal currently only installs vertical ground loop systems. This type of geothermal system is ideal for urban or suburban areas across the Hudson Valley and NY’s Capital Region where space is at a premium.
Open Loop Geothermal Systems
Open-loop geothermal systems extract water directly out of a water well or pond and run it through the water-refrigerant heat exchanger in the geothermal heat pump unit.
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After the transfer of heat between the extracted water and heat pump takes place, the water is then expelled back into a well, into a pond, or into a drainage ditch depending on local codes.
This type of ground connection method is used less frequently but may be employed cost-effectively if groundwater is plentiful.
Open Loop Installation
Open loop systems are the simplest to install and have been used successfully for decades in areas where local codes permit.
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In this type of system, ground water from an aquifer is piped directly from a well to the building where it transfers its heat to a geothermal heat pump. After the water leaves the building, it is expelled back into the same aquifer through a second well, called a discharge well, located a suitable distance from the first. Local environmental officials should be consulted whenever an open loop system is being considered.
Because open-loop systems utilize water on a “once through” basis, they are often referred to as “pump and dump” systems. The performance of the GSHP system may degrade over time if water quality issues are present (high mineral or dissolved solids content, etc) or if the water supply diminishes for any reason.
What material is used to make ground loops?
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and crosslinked polyethylene (PEXa) are the only materials formally approved for closed-loop geothermal systems by the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA).
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Polyethylene, the world’s most common plastic, is used in a wide range of applications such as food packaging, plastic bottles and bags, pool liners, and of course, geothermal piping.
Open Loop Installation
Open loop systems are the simplest to install and have been used successfully for decades in areas where local codes permit.
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In this type of system, ground water from an aquifer is piped directly from a well to the building where it transfers its heat to a geothermal heat pump. After the water leaves the building, it is expelled back into the same aquifer through a second well, called a discharge well, located a suitable distance from the first. Local environmental officials should be consulted whenever an open loop system is being considered.
Because open-loop systems utilize water on a “once through” basis, they are often referred to as “pump and dump” systems. The performance of the GSHP system may degrade over time if water quality issues are present (high mineral or dissolved solids content, etc) or if the water supply diminishes for any reason.
Grouting
GEOTHERMAL GROUT improves the efficiency and performance of ground source heat loop systems by matching the thermal conductivity of the surrounding soil and creating a permanent flexible seal to prevent aquifer contamination. GEOTHERMAL GROUT is an easy pumping grout that has been carefully developed to efficiently suspend solids (silica sand) for enhanced thermal conductivity. GEOTHERMAL GROUT can be mixed to meet a range of thermal conductivity (TC) from 0.40 to 1.00 Btu/hr/ft/F (0.68 to 1.69 W/ mK).
Vaults
Where mechanical room space is limited, we can install a geothermal vault near the well field and extend two larger diameter pipes to the building. This not only conserves spaces but saves time. Vaults can be installed anywhere, including under parking lots, and are waterproof. These vaults can be made of HDPE, fiberglass or concrete.
Circuit, Headers, Manifolds
Our horizontal piping crews have many years of experience, are IGSHPA Certified and attend yearly fusion training classes. They have completed basic systems to complex designs.
