GSHP Standards

The GSHP Standards have been drawn up by the GSHPA to help designers and installers of ground source systems, architects and engineers to specify a high level of design and installation for ground source systems.

Overview

GSHP Standards define a high level of design, installation quality and maintenance to protect the environment and maintain the reputation of the industry. They are designed to help contractors and sub-contractors employing specialist companies to install ground source systems that comply with the Standards.

The GSHP Standards provide concise information for the materials and general specification of installations. They are not installation or training manuals. The Standards must be referred to in conjunction with design qualifications and training programmes. The GSHP Standards are designed to enable reference to minimum materials specification, techniques and qualification requirements and ensure that installations comply with the Standards and to help contractors to employ companies that comply with the Standards.

Vertical Drilling Standard

The Vertical Borehole Standard covers Closed Loop Vertical Borehole: Design, Installation & Materials Standards under the following headings:

  • Government and regulatory agency requirements
  • Design and installation – training requirements
  • Design methods and compliance
  • Thermal response testing of the ground
  • Ground heat exchange materials and sizing
  • Pipes, joints, methods and materials
  • Grouts
  • Testing of ground heat exchange loops
  • Thermal transfer fluids
  • Design drawings and records

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GSHPA / MCS Drilling Standard

MCS and GSHPA combined their resources and expertise to produce a Drilling Standard specifically for the Ground Source sector

The GSHPA & MCS synergised their resources and expertise to pioneer a groundbreaking Drilling Standard tailored specifically for the Ground Source sector.

In a concerted effort to uphold industry excellence and bolster customer trust, an associated, industry-specific Drilling Audit has been meticulously crafted, now readily available for registration by drilling companies. This comprehensive audit is designed to showcase competence and instill confidence among consumers.

Conducted by the esteemed Landdrilling NVQ, these audits offer a rigorous evaluation to ensure adherence to the highest standards within the sector. This initiative not only raises the bar for industry performance but also fosters a culture of accountability and proficiency.

Pricing Structure:

GSHPA Members: £495 + VAT
Non-GSHPA Members: £750 + VAT

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Shallow Ground Source Standard

The Shallow Ground Source Standard covers horizontal ground heat exchange standards: Design, Installation & Materials Standards for thermal pile ground heat exchangers under the following:

  • Government and regulatory agency requirements
  • Design & installation – personnel & training requirements
  • Design methods and compliance
  • Soil thermal conductivity testing
  • Ground heat exchanger pipe materials & jointing
  • Groundworks
  • Pipe placement & backfilling
  • Flush, purge & pressure test of ground heat exchanger
  • Pumps, manifolds & pressurisation
  • Thermal transfer fluids
  • Design drawings and records
  • Submittals & alterations to Standards

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Thermal Pile Standard

The Thermal Pile Standards: Design, Installation & Materials Standards for thermal pile ground heat exchangers under the following headings:

  • Government and regulatory agency requirements
  • Contractual responsibilities
  • Design and Installation – training requirements
  • Design methods and compliance
  • Thermal response testing
  • Thermal pile concrete
  • Loop installation, protection, trimming & headering
  • Flush, purge & pressure test of ground heat exchanger
  • Indoor piping & valve vaults
  • Thermal transfer fluid
  • Design drawings and records
  • Monitoring and checking performance

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You can purchase a copy of the standards here

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We can email you a copy of the standards

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Shallow Ground Source Standard

The Shallow Ground Source Standard covers horizontal ground heat exchange standards: Design, Installation & Materials Standards for thermal pile ground heat exchangers under the following:

  • Government and regulatory agency requirements
  • Design & installation – personnel & training requirements
  • Design methods and compliance
  • Soil thermal conductivity testing
  • Ground heat exchanger pipe materials & jointing
  • Groundworks
  • Pipe placement & backfilling
  • Flush, purge & pressure test of ground heat exchanger
  • Pumps, manifolds & pressurisation
  • Thermal transfer fluids
  • Design drawings and records
  • Submittals & alterations to Standards

Not a member?

You can purchase a copy of the standards here

Buy now

Already a member?

We can email you a copy of the standards

Click here

Good Practice Guide for Ground Source Heating and Cooling

Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) remain an underused and often misunderstood technology in the UK. They can be used to efficiently and effectively harness renewable energy resources to provide low carbon heating and cooling. However, if Ground Source Heating and Cooling (GSHC) systems are to form a significant part of our future low carbon energy infrastructure they need to be designed, built, operated and maintained to a high quality. This Good Practice Guide has been produced to assist in achieving that aim by raising standards right across the supply chain and to stimulate adoption of the technology.

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Surface Water Source Heat Pumps – Code of Practice

CIBSE, GSHPA and the HPA have published a code of practice for Surface Water Source Heat Pumps. The Code of Practice, which has been produced by a steering committee with lead authorship from Nic Wincott and Jen Billings of the GSHPA, can be bought from CIBSE CP2.

Meanwhile, a short leaflet explaining how the Code can be used by building owners and developers can be downloaded below.

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Groundwater Source Heat Pumps – Code of Practice

GSHPA and CIBSE have published a code of practice for Open Loop Groundwater Source Heat Pumps. The Code of Practice, which was produced by a steering committee with lead authorship from Nic Wincott and Jen Billings of the GSHPA, is available from CIBSE CP3.

The CP3 Open-loop groundwater source heat pumps: Code of Practice for the UK, looks at the huge opportunity to provide low carbon heating and cooling to buildings from aquifers and mine water using groundwater source heat pumps (GWSHPs). It aims to raise standards across the supply chain and encourage the adoption of groundwater heat pumps.

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Groundwater Source Heat Pumps Code of Practice Launch

“The rapid decarbonisation of the electricity grid means that heat pumps are THE low carbon solution for providing heating and cooling in buildings. Groundwater provides a relatively constant temperature source, making GWSHPs an efficient technology right across the year. This new Code of Practice sets out minimum standards to give the buildings sector confidence in applying GWSHPs correctly.”

Phil Jones – Chairman of CP3 steering committee

Groundwater Source Heat Pumps Code of Practice Launch

“The rapid decarbonisation of the electricity grid means that heat pumps are THE low carbon solution for providing heating and cooling in buildings. Groundwater provides a relatively constant temperature source, making GWSHPs an efficient technology right across the year. This new Code of Practice sets out minimum standards to give the buildings sector confidence in applying GWSHPs correctly.”

Phil Jones – Chairman of CP3 steering committee

Ground Source Heat Pump Association Chairman, Bean Beanland, is delighted that further collaboration with CIBSE has delivered another excellent Code of Practice. Ground and water source heat pump technology is extremely well suited to the UK climate, and is the technology of NOW. The recent Committee on Climate Change report on Net Zero emissions for the UK by 2050 requires immediate action with technologies that are tried, tested and available now. The potential for carbon emissions reduction is considerable and, in addition, heat pumps have a major contribution to make to air quality improvement in the urban environment, being zero NOx, SOx and particulates emitters at the point of use.

The GSHPA is keen to work with CIBSE to promote heat pumps and the Codes, as specifiers increasingly turn to ground and water source heat pumps to satisfy Building Regulations, to meet increasingly demanding local planning conditions on emissions, and to deliver the low carbon buildings of the future. These are increasingly being demanded by home owners, the domestic rental sector and by commercial building owners and tenants as social awareness develops and as increasing carbon taxation looks set to become a reality.

Groundwater Heat Pumps and Fifth Generation District Heating

Each succeeding generation of district heating has moved to a lower temperature of heat distribution: this reduces the heat losses to the ground from connecting pipework between buildings until the current Fourth Generation District Heating which distributes hot water at around 65°C.

The next logical step is to move to circulating water at ambient ground temperature in the network: Fifth Generation District Heating. This eliminates heat losses to the ground and reduces the need for expensive pipework. It also eliminates the need for a central “Energy Centre”. A Heat pump in each building extracts heat from the network when its building needs heating, and rejects heat to the network when its building needs cooling in summer.

The ambient ground circuit will need to balance its temperature with a source of heat and the best opportunity to do this is likely to come from groundwater using groundwater heat pumps.

See GSHP Case Studies, including examples of groundwater heat pumps and Fifth Generation District Heating and Cooling.

Risks of fragmented responsibility

The same thought is expressed on page 7 of CP3 in the following words: “A successful open-loop GWSHP project is often made more difficult by the fragmented nature of the industry and complex procurement processes. It is common to find the feasibility work is carried out by a consultant, the detailed design and construction by a design-and-build contractor and the operation and maintenance by an unrelated facilities management company. The procurement approach adopted should consider the risks involved in this fragmentation and lack of incentives for each party involved to deliver an optimal scheme”.

In addition to the risks of employing fragmented parties, there may be a lack of responsibility for the whole design, installation and operation if more than one party is responsible for the resulting performance.

To ensure a “soft landing” you should ensure that a ground source system is well understood and well maintained and this may include fine tuning the controls in the first years of operation.

For more information on installation of ground source heating from an experienced source please contact one of our members.

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Become a Member

The GSHP Association is the focal point for business interests in the ground source heat pump industry.

We represent the ground source heating & cooling industry, promoting sustainable use of heat pump technology and engaging with government and other bodies to influence relevant policymaking on behalf of our members.

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