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ground source heat pumps

With escalating fuel costs and diminishing resources, Ground Source Heat Pumps are able to provide cost effective alternative systems with negligible maintenance. Ground Source Heat Pumps are one of the fastest growing applications of renewable and sustainable energy in the world.

There are three basic elements to a ground source heat pump:

The ground loop.
This is comprised of lengths of pipe buried in the ground, either in a borehole or a horizontal trench. The pipe is usually a closed circuit and is filled with a mixture of water and antifreeze, which is pumped around the pipe absorbing heat from the ground. The ground loop can be:

• Vertical, for use in boreholes
• Horizontal, for use in trenches
• Spiral, coil or 'slinky', also for use in trenches

A heat pump.
In the same way that your fridge uses refrigerant to extract heat from the inside, keeping your food cool, a ground source heat pump extracts heat from the ground, and uses it to heat your home. A ground source heat pump has three main parts:

• The evaporator, (e.g. the squiggly thing in the cold part of your fridge) absorbs the heat using the liquid in the ground loop
• The compressor, (this is what makes the noise in a fridge) moves the refrigerant round the heat pump and compresses the gaseous refrigerant to the temperature needed for the heat distribution circuit
• The condenser, (the hot part at the back of your fridge) gives up heat to a hot water tank which feeds the distribution system

Heat distribution system.
This consists ideally of under floor heating, radiators can be used but they would either have to be oversized or chosen from the highly efficient Jaga strada DBE range

Ground source heat pumps and your home.
What to keep in mind when considering a ground source heat pump.

• The type of heat distribution system. GSHPs can be combined with radiators but under-floor heating is better as it works at a lower temperature.
• Is there space available for a trench or borehole to accommodate a ground loop?
• Is the ground suitable for digging a trench or borehole?
• What fuel is being replaced? If it's electricity, oil, LPG or any other conventional fossil fuel the payback will be more favourable. Heat pumps are a good option where gas is unavailable.
• Want to be 100% renewable? Buy green electricity, or install solar PV or some other form of renewable electricity generating system to power the compressor and pump.
• Need a back-up heating system?
• Is the system for a new building development? Combining the installation with other building works can reduce costs.
• Insulation! Insulation! Wall, floor and loft insulation will lower your heat demand.

Interested? Please contact us for further help.

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