Ground Source Heat Pumps
Drawing as much as 75% of the energy needed by the heating system from freely available, inexhaustible solar energy stored in the ground. Ground source heat pumps are available in an extensive range of models types and capacities suitable for either domestic or commercial applications. Due to highly stable temperatures below the earth’s surface, ground source heat pumps provide high levels of efficiency for
space and water heating all year round.
Benefits of the ground as a heat source
- Consistent temperatures below ground throughout the year provides a high Co-efficient of Performance
- Can be used for heating, domestic hot water and swimming pools
- Borehole systems can be used for either passive or active cooling
At just 1m below the surface, the earth provides a stable source of heat throughout the year. At depths of 15m or more, the earth provides a constant 10°C temperature.
Heat from your garden
The earth stores an enormous amount of solar energy from both solar radiation and rainfall. To extract this energy, ground collectors consisting of flexible polyethylene pipes are buried in the earth, either horizontally or vertically. A mixture of water and anti-freeze is then circulated through the pipe loops, attracting the heat energy and transferring it to the heat pump.
Horizontal ground collectors
If a large enough land area is available, horizontal ground collectors provide an effective method of extracting heat from the ground. The pipework is buried at a depth of approximately 1.2m and spaced 0.75m apart. The land area required is dependent on both the capacity of the heat pump and heat conductance of the soil type in which the pipes are buried. As a space saving alternative to horizontal collectors, slinkies - consisting of coiled pipes buried in a trench – can be used.
