Energy Saving Warehouse

Ground Source Heat Pumps

What are Ground Source Heat Pumps?

Ground source heat pumps provide a clean way of heating buildings, free of all carbon emissions on site. They make use of renewable energy stored in the ground, providing one of the most energy-efficient ways of heating buildings. They are suitable for a wide variety of buildings and are particularly appropriate for low environmental impact projects.

They can be installed anywhere in the UK, using a borehole or shallow trenches or, less commonly, by extracting heat from a pond or lake. Heat collecting pipes in a closed loop, containing water (with a little antifreeze) are used to extract this stored energy, which can then be used to provide space heating and domestic hot water. Heat pumps can also be reversed in summer to provide cooling.

The only energy used by ground source heat pumps is electricity to power the pumps. Typically, a ground source heat pump will deliver 3 or 4 times as much thermal energy (heat) as is used in electrical energy to drive the system. For a particularly environmental solution, green electricity can be purchased.

Ground source heat pumps have been widely used in North America, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland for many years. Typically they cost more to install than conventional systems; however, they have very low maintenance costs and can be expected to provide safe, reliable and emission-free heating for over 20 years.

Ground source heat pumps work best with heating systems which are optimised to run at a lower water delivery temperature than is commonly used in radiator systems. As such, they make an ideal partner for underfloor heating systems.

The Advantages of Ground Source Heat Pumps

Ground Source Heat Pumps save money. Heat pumps are cheaper to run than direct electric heating. GSHPs are cheaper to run than oil boilers and can be cheaper than runing gas boilers.

Because heat pumps can be fully automated they demand much less work than biomass boilers.

Heat pumps save space. There are no fuel storage requirements.

Heat pumps are safe. There is no combustion involved and no emission of potentially dangerous gases. No flues are required.

GSHPs require less maintenance than combustion based heating systems. They also have a longer life than combustion boilers. The ground heat exchanger element of a ground source heat pump installation has a design life of over 50 years.

Heat pumps save carbon emissions. Unlike burning oil, gas, LPG or biomass, a heat pump produces no carbon emissions on site (and no carbon emissions at all, if a renewable source of electricity is used to power them).

Heat pumps can also provide cooling in summer, as well as heating in winter.

A well designed ground source heat pump system is likely to increase the sale value of your property.

Are you interested in GSHP for your home or business?

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