Ground source heat pump

August 27, 2013, vuhaitruong170193@gmail.com

A heat pump has the ability to reduce carbon emissions, and the technology involved will help you meet the stringent requirements of the Energy Conservation Code for commercial and residential buildings in North Carolina. The new code, which was implemented in 2011, requires private homes to be 15% more energy efcient, and businesses to be 30% more energy efcient. A ground source heat pump offers a carbon-efcient, practical alternative to traditional heating technology. Ground source heat pumps are also effective in helping Homeowners Associations reach the required minimum levels. On the heat pump market today, the latest models offer a coefcient of performance (COP) of around 4.74. Essentially, this means that for every kilowatt of electricity the heat pump uses, you get 4.7 kilowatts of energy in terms of hot water and useable heat. Compare this to a conventional heating system or gas boiler that only provides a maximum COP of 1. When a heat pump is used for heating, it is capable of very costeffective energy applications because it taps into an endless supply of pollution-free, clean heat from the ground. The only cost to you, the homeowner, is for the energy used to transport that heat.

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A ground source heat pumps works like this:

When a ground source heat pump is installed, a special piping system is buried under the ground to extract the heat and deliver it to the unit. The more piping installed, the more heat is obtained. The size of your home is an important factor in determining the amount of piping required.

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Details:
Heat your home with energy from the ground. Ground source heat pumps use pipes which are buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground. This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underoor or warm air heating systems and hot water in your home. A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe called a ground loop which is buried in your garden. Heat from the ground is absorbed into the uid and then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump. The ground stays at a fairly constant temperature under the surface, so the heat pump can be used throughout the year even in the middle of winter. The length of the ground loop depends on the size of your home and the amount of heat you need. Longer loops can draw more heat from the ground, but need more space to be buried in. If space is limited, a vertical borehole can be drilled instead.

The benefits of ground source heat pumps

A ground source heat pump (also known as GSHP): could lower your fuel bills, especially if you replace conventional electric heating could provide you with an income through the governments Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) could lower your homes carbon emissions, depending on which fuel you are replacing doesn't need fuel deliveries can heat your home and provide hot water needs little maintenance they're called t and forget technology. Unlike gas and oil boilers, heat pumps deliver heat at lower temperatures over much longer periods. During the winter they may need to be on constantly to heat your home efciently. You will also notice that radiators won't feel as hot to the touch as they might do when you are using a gas or oil boiler. Air source heat pumps are usually easier to install than ground source as they don't need any trenches or drilling, but they are often less efcient than GSHPs. Water source heat pumps can be used to provide heating in homes near to rivers, streams and lakes. How do ground source heat pumps work?

Heat from the ground is absorbed at low temperatures into a uid inside a loop of pipe (a ground loop) buried underground. The uid

then passes through a compressor that raises it to a higher temperature, which can then heat water for the heating and hot water circuits of the house. The cooled ground-loop uid passes back into the ground where it absorbs further energy from the ground in a continuous process as long as heating is required. Normally the loop is laid at or coiled in trenches about two metres deep, but if there is not enough space in your garden you can install a vertical loop down into the ground to a depth of up to 100 metres for a typical domestic home. Heat pumps have some impact on the environment as they need electricity to run, but the heat they extract from the ground, the air, or water is constantly being renewed naturally. Is a ground source heat pump suitable for me?

Is your garden suitable for a ground loop? It doesn't have to be particularly big, but the ground needs to be suitable for digging a trench or a borehole and accessible to digging machinery. Is your home well insulated? Since ground source heat pumps work best when producing heat at a lower temperature than traditional boilers, it's essential that your home is well insulated and draught-proofed for the heating system to be effective. What fuel will you be replacing? The system will pay for itself much more quickly if it's replacing an electricity or coal heating system. Heat pumps may not be the best option for homes using mains gas. What type of heating system will you use? Ground source heat pumps can perform better with underoor heating systems or warm air heating than with radiator-based systems because of the lower water temperatures required.

Is the system intended for a new development? Combining the installation with other building work can reduce the cost of installing the system. You may also want to consider air source heat pumps, which extract heat from the outside air. Or use our Renewable Selector to nd out which means of generating energy might work best for you. Savings

How much you can save will depend on what system you use now, as well as what youa re replacing it with. Your savings will be affected by: Your heat distribution system If you have the opportunity, underoor heating can be more efcient than radiators because the water doesnt need to be so hot. If underoor heating isnt possible, use the largest radiators you can. Your installer should be able to advise on this. Your fuel costs You will still have to pay fuel bills with a heat pump because they are powered by electricity, but you will save on the fuel you are replacing. If the fuel you are replacing is expensive you are more likely to make a saving. Your old heating system If your old heating system was inefcient, you are more likely to see lower running costs with a new heat pump. Water heating If the heat pump is providing hot water then this could limit the overall efciency. You might want to consider solar water heating to provide hot water in the summer and help keep your heat pump efciency up. Using the controls Learn how to control the system so you can get the most out of

it. You will probably need to set the heating to come on for longer hours, but you might be able to set the thermostat lower and still feel comfortable. Your installer should explain to you how to control the system so you can use it most effectively. Maintenance

Heat pump systems typically come with a warranty of two to three years. Workmanship warranties for heat pumps can last up to ten years, for example through QANW (Quality Assured National Warranties). Many manufacturers also offer optional extensions of warranty for a fee. You can expect them to operate for 20 years or more, but they do require regular scheduled maintenance. A yearly check by you and a more detailed check by a professional installer every three to ve years should be sufcient. The installer should leave written details of any maintenance checks you should undertake to ensure everything is working properly. Consult with your supplier for exact maintenance requirements before you commit to installing a heat pump. The Ground Source Heat Pump Association say that there is no need for safety checks for ground source heat pumps and that routine maintenance requirements are very low. These may include preheating season checks of the water pump, external pipes and ttings and electronics.

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