Saved By The Gyres: Ocean Source Heat Pumps cut Heating Costs and CO2 Emissions in Coastal Alaska Cities

Andy Baker is a registered professional engineer in Alaska and owner of YourCleanEnergy consulting in Anchorage. He has significant experience in the financial evaluation and design of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. He has lived and worked in Alaska since 1998 and has focused for the past twelve years on identifying and designing cost effective renewable energy systems for commercial, municipal, and community clients. He has been the organizer of the annual Anchorage Solar Tour from 2009 thru 2016. Andy is a graduate in environmental engineering from Penn State University and worked previously as a project engineer for Buchart-Horn in Pennsylvania; Black & Veatch in San Diego, Lusaka, and Boston; and for HDR Alaska in Anchorage. Andy’s work focus since 2009 has been on ocean source heat pumps systems for large facilities, and for district heating in coastal Alaska. He has worked with the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward for the past seven years to evaluate, design and monitor a large sea water heat pump system that has now effectively replaced 98% of local fossil fuel use with ocean source heat pumps. This high profile demonstration project was designed and constructed in three phases and features conventional heat pump systems using synthetic (R-134a); and cutting edge trans-critical heat pumps using a natural refrigerant (R-744 or CO2). The project combines the science of ocean gyres and an amazing natural refrigerant to produce a clean energy solution with an exciting and sustainable future for many northern coastal cities of the world.