WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the availability of a report — Hybrid Ground-Source Heat Pump Installations: Experiences, Improvements and Tools — that DOE says demonstrates hybrid ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) as a viable solution to reduce energy use in commercial buildings. The report states that new hybrid systems significantly decrease upfront costs while delivering financial and environmental benefits nearly equivalent to standard ground-source heat pumps. With its lower price, hybrid GSHP technology could be deployed widely, saving energy and money in new and existing commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings, according to the report.