This report provides information on geothermal heat pump shipments, based on the Energy Information Administration Form EIA-902, "Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers Survey." The survey shows that manufacturers shipped 63,682 geothermal heat pumps (GHP) in 2006, a 33 percent increase over the 2005 total of 47,830. Of those shipped in 2006, 10,968 were ARI-320 rated, and 47, 440 were ARI-325 or ARI-330. ARI-rated shipments increased to 58,408 units in 2006, while the number of other non-ARI-rated units shipped increased to 5,274 in 2006 (Table 3.1).

The total rated capacity of geothermal heat pumps shipped in 2006 was 245,603 tons, compared to 160,402 tons in 2005 (Table 3.2). Geothermal (water and ground-source) heat pumps offer a substantial increase in energy efficiency relative to air-source heat pumps.  In 2006, the capacity-weighted average cooling energy efficiency ratio (EER) for geothermal heat shipments was 31 percent greater than the current minimum standard of 13 for air-source heat pumps (based on data in Table 3.2 and Table 3.3). The heating efficiency of ground-source and water-source heat pumps is indicated by their coefficient of performance (COP). In 2006, the capacity-weighted average of COP for geothermal heat shipments was 3.8 (based on data in Table 3.2 and Table 3.4).

The proportion of geothermal heat pumps shipped to each Census Region in 2006 was as follows: the South (29 percent), the Midwest (34 percent), the Northeast (12 percent), and the West (12 percent) (Table 3.5). The proportion of geothermal heat pumps exported was 12 percent. Sixty-one percent of geothermal heat pumps were shipped to wholesale distributors, while 38 percent went to installers. The remaining 1 percent was sold to exporters, retail distributors, or end-users (Table 3.6).  The total rated capacity of domestically shipped heat pumps in 2006 was 215,166 tons. Of that total 113,355 tons were shipped to the residential sector and 101,768 tons to commercial sector. (Table 3.7).

Direct use geothermal energy (e.g., low-temperature water from conventional geothermal sources for crop drying) and energy consumed by GHP both increased in 2006.  GHP energy consumption increased 15 percent in 2006 to an estimated 28 trillion Btu, while direct use inched upward from 8.8 to 9.1 trillion Btu (Table 3.8).

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