MS Thesis Defense: Sarah Hutchinson

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"Cold Climate Heating Alternatives: A feasibility study for heat pumps in far northern Greenland"

Abstract

Building heating in the Arctic is extremely energy intensive. The cold climate of northern Greenland requires heating throughout the year. Qaanaaq, the northernmost village in Greenland, has 10,128 average annual heating degree days, in Celsius. Current heating relies on fossil fuels, often from an oil boiler or from diesel-powered district heating. Amidst the global transition of energy supply and consumption to reduce the use of fossil fuels, electrically based heating via heat pumps is becoming an increasingly attractive option to heat buildings more efficiently. Several heat pumps are now designed for cold climates specifically. While studies have investigated the potential and performance of heat pumps in cold climates, no studies have investigated their feasibility in the extreme cold of northern Greenland. Qaanaaq sits on a fjord with year-round water temperatures of 0.5°C to 1.5°C. The ground has permafrost beginning about 1m to 2.5m below the ground surface, and air temperatures reach -40°C in the winter.

This thesis analyzes the feasibility of air source heat pumps (ASHPs), ground source heat pumps (GSHPs), and seawater source heat pumps (SWHPs) based on four criteria: their Coefficient of Performance (COP) compared to the efficiency of an oil boiler, the total available energy in the energy source compared to the annual heat energy demand of a typical house, power delivery capability compared to the peak hourly power demand of a typical house, and cost. Analysis finds that COP values for GSHPs and SWHPs are likely near or below 3.1, the COP required for efficiency comparable to an oil heater. The COP for ASHPs is above 3.1 for about 1/5 of the year. All sources can supply the energy and power necessary to heat homes in Qaanaaq. However, none of the heat pumps can supply power from diesel-based electricity at a cost lower than oil-based heating. Thus, without modifying the primary energy sourcing, heat pumps are not economically reasonable in the cold climate of far northern Greenland, and oil boilers remain a more efficient and cost-effective heating option.

Thesis Committee

• Professor Mary Albert (Chair)
• Professor Christopher Polashenski
• Professor Charles Sullivan
• Gary Phetteplace, GWA Research

Contact

For more information, contact Thayer Registrar at thayer.registrar@dartmouth.edu.