Sunpot Co., a heating appliance maker in Japan, together with Hokkaido University has co-developed a geothermal heat pump unit and in fiscal 2004 became the country's first manufacturer to start mass-production of residential geothermal heating units.

The system involves digging a hole in the ground about 10 centimeters in diameter, 75 to 100 meters deep, and inserting a polyethylene pipe filled with an antifreeze solution. The system absorbs ground heat as a thermal source for the heated water system.

Ground heat is a stable natural energy source that takes advantage of ground temperatures consistently two degrees Celsius warmer than the local average annual air temperature, unaffected by heavy snow or variations in surface air temperatures. The new heat pump can produce the equivalent of four times more heat energy than the electricity the system consumes. The system is not only energy efficient but also helps reduce fossil fuel consumption, resulting in about one-third the carbon dioxide emissions compared to a kerosene heater.

Over 700,000 geothermal heat pumps have already been sold in Europe and the United States as their energy efficiency is highly valued. Japan, however, has been lagging behind these countries in mass production of such pumps, experiencing high production costs and low popularity. Sunpot Co. paved the way for mass production and the resulting large cost reductions, and expects this system to become popular in Japan, contributing largely to protection of the environment.



Posted: 2005/03/16 10:16:28 AM
Japanese version

TAG Eco-product/Business , Energy , Global warming , Manufacturing industry , Technology , University/Research institute