Ground Source Heat Pumps
Ground source heat pumps extract heat from the ground by circulating fluid through buried pipes in horizontal trenches or vertical boreholes.
They concentrate heat by using a vapour compression cycle, and they transfer heat into buildings to provide heating and hot water without burning fossil fuels. See How GSHPs work.
A well designed GSHP system provides the lowest running cost of any heating system – because it uses a small amount of electricity to transfer a large amount of naturally occurring heat from the ground into your building.
An investment in a GSHP system is an investment for the long term – the groundworks have a design life of 100 years and the GSHP itself has a life longer than any combustion boiler.
The benefits of using a GSHP are that you can:
- enjoy lower fuel bills, especially if you replace heating by oil, coal, LPG, or direct electric
- eliminate the need for fuel deliveries
- reduce your annual maintenance costs
- reduce your carbon emissions dramatically
- earn significant income from the Renewable Heat Incentive
- install a safe, silent, invisible heating system with no planning restrictions
You should take advice from an experienced installer to realise these benefits. Your building may benefit from increased insulation, and its heat distribution system may need to be adapted to take full advantage of using a ground source heat pump. A GSHP is very efficient at producing warmth rather than heat, so you may benefit from larger radiators or underfloor heat distribution. You will need a control system that matches the characteristics of a heat pump in order to provide the gentler heat over a longer period than would be needed with high temperature water delivered to smaller radiators.
Installation of Ground Source Heat Pumps
The performance of a ground source heat pump installation depends greatly on the quality of design and installation in matching the specification of the installation to the needs of the building and its use and ensuring that a balance of heat exchange is maintained with the ground over the year in a sustainable way by utilising solar recharge of the ground.
For more information from an experienced source please contact one of our ground source installers or one of our ground source consultants.
See some successful GSHP Case Studies.
Ground Source Heat Pump RHI tariffs Double
Government grants in the shape of the Renewable Heat Incentive are available for those who install ground source heat pumps to heat their buildings, both for houses and for commercial buildings.
Ground Source Heat Pump Association
Principal aims
The GSHPA encourages the growth and development of the ground source energy industry in the United Kingdom by:
- promoting the efficient and sustainable use of ground source heat pumps
- raising awareness of the benefits of ground source heat pumps
- developing ground source installation Standards
- encouraging high standards of training for the industry
- providing a forum for information exchange
- liaising with related organisations to benefit the ground source industry
- Lobbying for Ground Source Energy industry in matters of local, national and international interest to members
The Association provides information on GSHPs via this website and telephone helplines and makes presentations to promote the ground source industry to key audiences. It co-ordinates closely with government and other trade associations and training organisations to work for high quality installations and the success of the ground source industry.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
For more information about work undertaken by the Association, and about ground source heat pumps, please e-mail info@gshp.org.uk, or write to the address below.
Join the GSHPA
If you would like to join the GSHPA then click: Join us in the GSHPA.