Trenches are dug to accept a horizontal slinky ground loop collector as part of an installation by Hero Renewables. The solar electric panels could help to offset some of the GSHP’s running costs
Whether you need an off-grid heating solution or simply want to power your home in a more sustainable way, fitting a renewable system could be a good option. One popular technology is the ground source heat pump (GSHP). This works by taking low-grade heat from the earth and converting it into usable energy at a higher temperature for space and water heating.
In many ways, a heat pump operates on the same principle as your kitchen fridge – just in reverse. The appliance is typically hooked up to a closed-loop heat collector system, buried in the ground where temperatures reach an average of around 12°C thanks to the sun’s rays. So GSHPs effectively make use of solar energy; hence why they’re considered a renewable resource.
The collector fluid (a mixture of water and antifreeze) is pumped through a sealed loop and draws in warmth from the ground. It’s then compressed to raise the temperature, and the resulting heat is transferred into the distribution system. The fluid is then expanded to reduce the pressure and temperature before it’s returned to the below-ground pipework in order to restart the collection process.
How well do they perform?
A ground source heat pump’s efficiency is critical, as this will determine whether you can save money or reduce carbon emissions when compared to using alternative methods of heating your home, such as a boiler. GSHPs are technically an electrical form of heating, since they require mains power to run. For each kilowatthour (kWh) of electricity consumed by the pump, however, you get several units of heat output – and this is what makes them an attractive proposition.