Geothermal heat pumps

http://youtu.be/y_ZGBhy48YI

·         Made up of a ground loop (a network of water pipes buried underground) and a heat pump at ground level.

·         A mixture of water and anti-freeze is pumped around the ground loop and absorbs the naturally occurring heat stored in the ground. The pump itself consists of an evaporator, a compressor and a condenser - together these take the heat from the water mixture

·         Help to lower your carbon footprint as it uses a renewable, natural source of heat – the ground.

·         A heat pump also requires a supplementary source of power to power the heat pump, resulting in CO2 emissions. 

Pros of ground source heat pumps

·         Ground source heat pumps generate less CO2 than conventional heating systems.

·         Lower maintenance costs than conventional systems as all equipment is installed inside the building or underground

·         No outside equipment exposed to weather and vandalism.

·         less loss in heat transfer

·         In commercial installations, systems can save money by recovering excess heat from building interior zones and moving it to the perimeter of the building.

·         They can also save money by allowing management to isolate and shut down unoccupied areas of the building.

·         Lower heat pump energy costs

Cons of ground source heat pumps

·         Installing a ground source heat pump is expensive, depending on the size of the system

·         Ground source heat pumps are generally not suitable for properties with existing gas-fired central heating as the technology works at lower temperatures, making it better suited to homes with underfloor heating.

·         The groundworks required to dig the trench can be expensive and disruptive – planning permission may be required if space is at a premium and you need a borehole.

·         You still need to use electricity to drive the pump, so a ground source heat pump can’t be considered completely zero-carbon unless this is provided by a renewable source, such as solar power or a wind turbine.

VERTICAL

·         Used by large commercial buildings and schools because the land area required for horizontal loops would be prohibitive

·         Vertical loops are also used where the soil is too shallow for trenching, and they minimize the disturbance to existing landscaping.

http://bge.apogee.net/ces/library/tcwshp.asp

http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/geothermal-heat-pumps

http://www.which.co.uk/energy/creating-an-energy-saving-home/guides/ground-source-heat-pumps-explained/how-ground-source-heat-pumps-work/