www.groundloopdesign.com

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Why is GLD Considered the Best Design Solution at any Price?

Some users have asked us to help them cost justify the purchase of a full featured design suite over less expensive and limited apps.  We're flattered by the requests and proud to produce the most advanced software design suit available at any price.  To understand why GLD is the best software available today, it is worthwhile to understand our business model and incentives for software development. We specialize in geothermal software, thermal conductivity and the commercial geothermal marketplace. Our software has been designed in response to "real world" commercial designers and their needs. There are certainly other less expensive offerings available which have been supported by government grants and academics which are not designed to compete in a free market or meet the needs of Professional Engineers.  When you compare, you will find our product is far more advanced, easier to use, and developed to support numerous accepted design models.

Here are some of the basic differences between GLD and other less sophisticated offerings:

PROGRAM INTERFACE:
  • GLD has the most flexible user interface. Our modular design enables you to do more "what if" modeling and perform multiple design simulations to optimize the plan.  Our "what if" data is supported by numerical and visual output to help better understand the cause and effect of design changes.

  • GLD is designed to support a broad international market, including multiple languages and international pipe sizes.

DESIGN METHODOLOGY:
  • GLD supports three major heat transfer theories including:
    • ASHRAE standard theory
    • European standard theory
    • Hourly simulation function

No other software packages, at any price, can do this.


DESIGN INTEGRATION:
  • GLD integrates with AutoCAD, Trane Trace, Carrier HAP, IES.  Other programs do not.

  • GLD enables you to design and compare vertical, horizontal and pond systems. Other programs do not.  We understand appropriate designs are not, "one size or type fits all".

PROFESSIONAL REPORTS:
  • GLD provides a range of professional design reports that can be customized with your company logo.  Reports are suitable to both engineers and end customers.  Other programs do not offer this.

  • GLD provides a built-in finance and lifecycle costing module for real world economics. Other programs do not.

DESIGN FLEXIBILITY AND ACCURACY:
  • GLD can integrate an optional thermal conductivity data analysis module. Other programs do not.

  • GLD enables you to compare and contrast multiple design approaches at the same time.  No other program can do this at any price.
     
  • GLD lets designers test the impact of adding hybrid coolers/heaters into the system.  GLD can shave peak load levels or cut total energy introduced to the loopfield.  No other geothermal design program cna do this.

  • GLD enables you to design absolutely any type of vertical loopfield.  No other program offers this versatility or flexibility.

  • GLD has the ability to perform a multiple zone-by-zone analysis including a range of advanced pump matching tools.  No other program does this.
FLUID DYNAMICS AND PIPING DESIGN:
  • The NEW GLD Piping System Buider offers a fully automated calculation of the piping system for a balanced, efficient and cost effective system.  The Piping System Designer utilizes the extensive computational fluid dynamics module that essentially designs your piping and headers for you. NO other geothermal design package can do this.
     
  • The GLD piping module provides critical parameters that can be used in specifying designs that work for real-world operation and purging.   This is an important part of the design that no other geothermal design product covers. 
     
  • Need international pipe sizes?  GLD has them.  No approximating when you have real built-in pipe tables.  You can also specify I.D. and O.D. parameters for specialized piping. 
     
  • GLD has a vast library of fluids used around the world and understands the viscosity and impact of temperature change on pumping performance.  You don't get this with other programs!

COAXIAL HEAT EXCHANGERS:
  • The GLD Vertical Borehole Module now features Coaxial Heat Exchangers.  Our software actually computes the heat exchange and doesn't approximate using marketing factors as is the case in some other products.  This allows a true cost/performance comparison between U-Bend loops and Coaxial exchangers.
     
ONGOING SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT:
  • GLD is supported by a full time team that responds quickly to questions.  We believe in constant improvement of our product. 

  • In a nutshell, GLD is a much more advanced, professional and capable product. Our product is a full-time commercial endeavor.

We also have a full time support staff. There are far more P.E.'s that are willing to stake their reputation on results that GLD can provide because they have compared the features, support and results. There is just a lot more "under the hood" than in any other geothermal heat exchange design software.

 

Thank you for considering GLD and the differences that set us apart from any other geothermal offerings available at any price.