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CGC honours professor Frank Clements Hooper

May 5, 2011, Toronto – The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition
(CGC) recently recognized the pioneering research on ground source heat pump
heating and cooling technology conducted more than 60 years ago by Frank
Clements Hooper.

Hooper, BASc., DIC, FEIC, FCSME, FCAE, P.Eng. and professor
emeritus of mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto, was presented with
an award at the U of T’s Faculty Club where the association also unveiled
Canada’s first national bursary program for post-graduate studies related to
geothermal heating and cooling.

In an article published in the Canadian Journal of
Technology in 1952 and titled “An Experimental Residential Heat Pump,” professor
Hooper definitively established, with indisputable evidence and strong
technical argumentation, that “ground coils in suitable soils offer a
satisfactory heat source in Ontario.” The article presented results of research
conducted from 1949 to 1951 at the University of Toronto. Today, thanks in part
to the initial work of Professor Hooper, thousands of GSHP systems are
installed in Canada every year.

Professor Hooper’s pioneering work clearly established not
only the feasibility of GSHP applications in Canada but covered important key
concepts such as system design, system performance, soil conductivity and
diffusivity, seasonal coefficient of performance and more.

“When I read this paper, 60 years after its first
publication, I was stunned by the clarity of the argumentation and the extent
of the research and results,” said Denis Tanguay, CGC’s president and CEO, in a
news release. “Anyone interested in defining the paternity of GSHP systems in
North America should know this article” he added. CGC is seeking to re-publish
the original article in its industry magazine, GeoConneXion, later this year.

The pioneering work of Professor Hooper paved the way for
the establishment of a flourishing GSHP industry in Canada. Today, there are
more than 80,000 GSHP systems installed across the country, most of them since
2005. CGC has encountered renewed interest in geothermal research at Canadian
universities, government labs as well as in the private sector. In addition,
industry intelligence suggests the imminent commercialization of many new
products developed and manufactured in Canada.

To help grow the industry, the CGC established an education
network it says is unique in North America. The CGC Education and Training
Network comprises more than 16 colleges and universities across Canada and
shows the openness and inclusivity of the CGC-led market transformation
initiative. Together, network member colleges offer standardized training
recognized by their Ministry of Education, and also through the CGC Global
Quality GeoExchange Program.

For more information, visit www.geoexchange.ca.