Most press for our industry is inconsistent and at worst, completely incorrect.
This article about Whisper Valley in Austin, Texas falls mostly into the latter category and is EXTREMELY misleading. The article states that if your home’s ground-source heat pump stops working, you will still be able to get cooling from the “GeoGrid”. This is absolutely false, if your system is not operational you will not be able to cool your home. If you’re planning to purchase in Whisper Valley, be aware that your individual ground-source heat pump is for your home and your home alone. At no point can the “GeoGrid” replace your cooling system, nor can you tap into your neighbors cooling system.
“Because the homes all share this GeoGrid, residents don’t have to worry about being without air conditioning even if their personal system goes down — they can just tap into the grid. If a home needs more heating or cooling than its individual system can provide, it can get that from the GeoGrid, too.”
The article goes on to state that you can get additional cooling capacity from the “GeoGrid”, that is also false. While it does give the benefit of additional ground-loop capacity, you are still limited to the capacity of the ground-source heat pump installed in your home. If you have a 4-ton system, you still have a 4-ton system. You may be able to improve your overall capacity and EER slightly due to better loop temps but your 4-ton system won’t magically become a 5-ton system.
Here’s the complete article link.
GeoGrid: Texas geothermal helps cut energy bills to $1 per mo. – Big Think