What are Ground Source Heat Pumps and how do they work?
The Benefits of Ground Source Heat Pumps
Will your house be suitable?
How much might it cost to install and maintain?
Energy Saving
Environmental Savings
Ground source heat pumps can be used to heat central heating radiators, under floor heating systems and provide domestic hot water.
The ground source heat pump system works by extracting energy stored in the ground via a length of closed pipe work, containing a brine-based solution. The pipe work is buried in the ground either in shallow trenches or suspended in a small diameter bore hole. In either case there is no physical evidence of the pipe work except for the connection chamber.
The average ground temperature is between 8 and 12 degrees and remains fairly constant throughout the year. The brine solution in the pipes is at a very low temperature and absorbs the heat from the surrounding ground. The heat is then extracted from the solution by means of an evaporator, compressor and condenser which are all contained in the ‘fridge sized’ unit. The energy produced by the unit is then used to provide heating and/or domestic hot water.
The ground source heat pump system is typically 300% efficient. The heat pumps are powered by electricity and for every KW of energy they use the pumps can produce up to 4.0kw of heat, giving potentially 3.0kw of ‘free heat’.
The system achieves the greatest efficiencies when the heat pump is linked to an under floor heating system. Homeowners benefit from substantially reduced running costs and a reduced carbon footprint for their property.
All that is required is enough ground in which to bury the pipe work. Where space is limited the pipe can be buried in a vertical borehole.
The actual ground source heat pump takes up the same amount of space as a traditional boiler and hot water tank.
The system is suitable for use with a traditional radiator system (although you may need to install additional or larger radiators) or under floor heating depending on the floor covering. We will advise you on the most suitable option for your circumstances.
A typical 8 to 12kw ground source heat pump unit, which would provide a 4 bedroom detached house with heating and water, costs from £6000. This is dependent on the existing system, property type and location.
The Government’s commitment to ‘renewable technology’ enables homeowners to benefit from grants of up to £1200 towards the installation and commissioning. Local Councils may have additional support funding available within your area.
The maintenance and servicing requirements for the units are lower than a commercial boiler and the life of the units far exceeds the current life expectancy of existing units.
Ground source heat pumps deliver significant cost savings compared to other fuels. Savings of up to 70% of your energy bill can be achieved against oil or LPG systems.
All heating systems produce CO2 as a waste product of their process. The amount of CO2 produced is a measure of the “greenness” of the different systems. Compared to conventional heating systems the ground source heat pump systems are considerably greener.
| Fuel Type | CO2 Levels (Kg/Kw of Energy) |
| Electricity | 0.43kg |
| Oil | 0.26kg |
| LPG | 0.25kg |
| Gas | 0.14kg |
| Ground Source Heat Pumps | 0.11kg |
