ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on fundamentals, basic concepts, and design principles of vertical and horizontal indirect and direct expansion closed-loop, and groundwater and surface water very low-temperature ground-source heat pump systems. It also presents some information related to outdoor and indoor design temperatures as well as principles of heating and cooling loads for both residential and commercial/institutional buildings in cold and moderate climates. The book aims to the classification of ground-source heat pump systems currently used in cold and moderate climates according to their application fields and heat/sink energy sources. It also presents the basic thermodynamic parameters of real subcritical mechanical vapor compression geothermal heat pump, and most-used diagrams and refrigerants. The book describes the conventional distributed and central geothermal heat pump systems usually applied in large-scale commercial and institutional buildings.
