How do ground source heat pumps work?
Heat pumps have been receiving significant attention in the media over the last few years. You may have come across terms like ground source, water source, and air source heat pumps, but what exactly are they and how do they function? Pure Renewables, your local experts in renewable energy solutions, are here to provide a comprehensive explanation and address your query: How does a ground source heat pump work?
Firstly... What is a Heat Pump?
Simply put, a heat pump is a heating system that collects heat from either air, water, or the ground, and converts it into heating for your property. Heat pumps work in a similar way to an air conditioner, transferring thermal energy using a refrigeration cycle. Even in cold weather, heat pumps can draw heat from the cool outdoors into your house by using a high pressure refrigerant. The refrigerant is compressed so its pressure and temperature rise, at which point it flows into your house transferring it’s heat via a heat exchanger. During this process the gas refrigerant condenses into a liquid state after which it then flows into a the outdoor space where the pressure falls, the liquid evaporates, and the temperature of the gas falls. Because the temperature of the gas is lower than its surrounding environment it absorbs heat at which point it is then compressed back to release the heat back into your home. As so the cycle is repeated.
We asked our heat pump experts to give us all the details and hopefully you’ll find the answers to your questions below. If you still have questions please get in touch and speak to one of our heat pump experts.
SO HOW DO GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS WORK?
Ground source heat pump systems have two key elements: a ground loop, which is a collection of pipes buried under the ground, and a heat pump which is installed above ground. The ground loop contains a liquid made from antifreeze and water called Glycol, which absorbs heat from the ground as it travels around the pipe system. In the UK, our ground maintains a temperature of around 10 degrees C year round at roughly 2 metres down, which is plenty for a ground source heat pump to work efficiently.
A heat exchanger then uses this warm liquid to evaporate another liquid (R-410A, usually called Freon, the same refrigerant as fridges and air conditioners) into vapour. The vapour is then pressurised to heat it up, which in turn heats the hot water system of the building. This part is similar to a traditional boiler, where water is heated by a burning fossil fuel instead of the pressurised Freon that a ground source heat pump uses.
Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) work great as part of an eco-friendly heating system and you may be able to receive a grant of up to £7,500 through the Governments Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
HOW DO GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS COMPARE TO TRADITIONAL BOILERS?
This system of pumping and compressing uses much less energy than heating the water directly using electricity or fossil fuel, and it is widely accepted that ground source heat pumps can be around 4 x more efficient than traditional boilers. They do still run on electricity to power the heat pump itself, but convert at such an efficient rate that the output is far higher.
For example, with £1 spend on electricity for a gas boiler, you would receive around £0.85 of heat. For a ground source heat pump, that £1 gives around £4 worth of heat.
The heat generated into your home heating system tends to be at a slightly lower temperature than that of a traditional boiler, and so it is recommended that larger radiators or an underfloor heating system be used alongside. Many homes and buildings already have oversized radiators, so it is worth chatting to our team to see whether yours will already be suitable.
Considering Heat Pumps?
If you think ground source heat pumps are the right option for you, or your just not sure whether they would work in your home, get in touch with our heat pump experts and have a chat.
Heat pumps reduce carbon emissions whilst providing permanent heat that can be used for radiators, underfloor or warm air heating systems and hot water. They are ideal for well insulated properties, regardless of the age of your home and our engineers will design a solution specifically to maximise the efficiencies for your particular property. Through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, you could also be entitled to a grant to cover part of the costs of replacing your existing fossil fuel heating system with a heat pump.
Our team are dedicated to adding value to every project and our expert team take care of every aspect of the installation to give you peace of mind. We are passionate about combining our knowledge and experience with high quality products and excellent customer service to deliver specialist solutions.
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Heat Pumps Key Information
- Investment returned in around 12 years
- Permanent heat and hot water
- Bespoke solution designed for your home
- Heat pumps available with thermal outputs from 4kw – 87kw
- Air source, water source and ground source options
- Lifespan of 25 – 30 years
- We only use natural refrigerants which are non-toxic with zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) and very low GWP (Global Warming Potential).
- Typical commercial boilers operate at 80-85% efficiencies compared to 320% for air source, 400% for ground source and 450% for water source heat pumps
- Can be integrated with residential solar PV to provide maximum efficiency
Questions? Get in touch today and talk to one of our heat pump experts!
We Are Here for You
At Pure Renewables, our dedication revolves around delivering state-of-the-art renewable energy systems to our customers. We harness the most recent innovations in heat pump technology to help empower you in producing hot water without a gas burning boiler, paving the way for numerous benefits and saving you money on your energy bills!
Be assured that our methodology revolves around a no-obligation quote policy, granting you the freedom from any undue pressure. Furthermore, our friendly team of experts based at our office in Hull are readily available to provide you with invaluable advice and answer any questions you may have.
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