GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS - How do they work? │GreenMatch

Ground source heat pump is an effective, low carbon heating solution, but how exactly does it work?

In this video, we’ll break down the process in simple terms to help you make an informed decision about your home.

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🔗 Read more about the costs here:

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Watch this next to see if an air source heat pump could fit your home better

Or maybe you would want to find a boiler instead?

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📌 Timestamps

0:00 Intro
0:18 How a GSHP works
1:01 Horizontal GSHP
1:32 Vertical GSHP
2:02 GSHP Efficiency

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[karenconabeare]

Hello, I have to wonder about the use of ground source systems, particularly in the UKs temperate climate, versus their air source companions. Though the air source units give up a negligible amount in their efficiency, they are vastly different in upfront costs, especially as retrofits. Full disclosure, I’m currently a resident in Canada where I installed an air source heat pump (air to air) to heat a super insulated home of Toronto a 100 miles. First of all it handled all the heating requirements and always put out heat, even below -30c on a handful of occasions, which should more than dismiss concerns of low temperature performance in a UK environment. To be sure the efficiency drops at these temperature extremes, that’s why when we talk of these heat pump systems we talk of seasonal performance. Now admittedly I’ve never individually monitored my set up but studying this issue exhaustively I expect my system to be performing at at least a SCOP of 2.5 in my area of 5000 HDD.
If an air source heat pump will run at a seasonal COP in the 3-4 neighbourhood, why would anyone pay - or suggest- installing a ground system, which assuming is installed optimally, might only result in a negligible increase in efficiency for a whooping increase in install cost?
Having said all this, EITHER system is miles ahead of the old school gas heating systems belching out their emissions. Let’s get a move on, on both sides of the pond, and utilize these groundbreaking technologies to get us all moving in the right direction in the future.
Thanks to Greenmatch UK and other sites like it for highlighting what needs to be our collective focus, individually and nationally.
Cheers Mark Harwood

[paulbradford]

Ground source heating works best, no argument with underfloor heating systems. Standard radiators are designed for higher temperatures than you will get with ground source heating. You require larger and therefore more expensive radiators. You can use with your existing radiators, but will need to make sure that your house is sufficiently insulated and draughtproof.
A friend had a system installed with radiators and was ill advised. He then had to install a boiler to assist with the heating. Had he been told about underfloor heating, it wasn't practicable to install it in his house.

Firstly, get your insulation right.

Secondly, look at your cost to change and the timeframe in which to get your return. No point if you are planning to move in a couple of years as someone is unlikely to pay the premium that you would like. It would make your house more attractive, no doubt, but any buyer wants to get the property as cheap as they can. Also, if you are not planning to move, the payback time might not happen in your expected lifetime.

Thirdly, cost again. What is cheaper? Air or ground source heat pump or biomass. Biomass comes out on top in almost all circumstances on running costs, especially on retrofit. If a complete new build, air source or ground source will likely be better.

Electricity is the most expensive form of heating, so do your homework. There are many forums (fora?) where you will find free advice and help. At the very least, your homework will give you some informed questions that you can ask.

Find someone that already has such a system and get them to show you their before and after bills.
We have both solar hot water and solar pv, selling excess electricity back to the grid. While we get an annual cheque (for nine years so far and for at least the next ten) and our consumption has gone down, in terms of investment in our future heating costs, solar hot water has beaten everything hands down. The solar hot water system paid for itself within four years. It is extremely low maintenance and during the twelve to thirteen years since installation has only required the occasional top up with antifreeze, one new fuse and a new circulation pump (that I actually bought second-hand from an engineer that was removing a system).
That system has saved me around £450 per year in fuel and will continue to do so.
The solar pv in contrast is no maintenance (I have tried cleaning the panels, but in reality, they don't get dirty and there was no noticeable increase in electricity generated after cleaning). However, the outlay is much higher and the payback time longer, between eight and nine years. It had a new inverter, just under the five year guarantee. I still had to pay for the fitting. They wouldn't guarantee the new one for any longer than two years. They are not cheap.
If we were going to stay at our house, I would go for biomass every time.

Finally, don't forget, if you live in an area prone to power cuts, every system will require a back up generator' or a powerwall system to provide power in an emergency. Not a lot of money, but a consideration.

[davidjessop]

Geothermal energy is energy taken from the Earth's core, it comes from heat generated during the original formation of the planet and the radioactive decay of materials, and is not green in any way. Just because it doesn't cause CO2 emmissions some shallow thinkers imagine it's part of the solution to global heating, it isn't, it's part of the problem, and while fossil fuels are being phased out geothermal is expanding because simple non thinkers imagine it's green. Just repeating low carbon is a mantra to reassure those scared of the consequences of climate change. Dream on.