Ground source heat pumps are a cost effective renewable and there-fore green form of heating.
Ground source heat pumps collect energy stored in the ground and utilise it to heat water in a cylinder
to be used for heating your home or office. Conversely they can also be used for cooling in summer. This is one of the
most advanced renewable (green) and cost effective answers on the market for the home or business heating / cooling.
Ground
Source heat pumps are efficient because the earth itself ‘stores' energy, it is an extremely reliable and
consistent energy source, there are no harmful emissions and uses a very small amount of electricity to drive the pumps themselves.
Ground
Source heat pumps can play a significant role in lowering a home or businesses carbon footprint. Something that Governments
businesses and individuals will be under increasing pressure to achieve; As a result of the Kyoto protocol to which the UK
is a signatory.
"The objective of the Kyoto climate change conference was to establish a legally
binding international agreement, whereby all the participating nations commit themselves to tackling the issue of global warming
and greenhouse gas emissions. The target agreed upon was an average reduction of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the year 2012. According
to the treaty, in 2012, Annex I countries must have fulfilled their obligations of reduction of greenhouse gases emissions
established for the first commitment period (2008-2012) (listed in Annex B of the Protocol)."
No fuel deliveries required.
Can provide heating and hot water
Fit
and forget as it requires little maintenance.
How does a Ground Source heat pump work. |
Have you ever wondered how a refrigerator works? Heat from the inside is transferred to a coolant that is piped around
the inside of the refrigerator and then sent outside to a system of radiators on the outside (usually the back ) of the refrigerator
and dissipated into the air.
The Ground Source heat pump works in the same way as a refrigerator, but in reverse. Typically
the collection system consists of a single deep borehole or alternatively, if space permits, a looped array of pipes buried
about 1.2 metres below the ground surface.
The ground source heat pump then extracts heat stored in the earth. This
low temperature energy passes through a CFC-free refrigerant cycle which converts it into higher temperatures to produce heating.
In the summer, this cycle can be reversed, cooling the room to a comfortable temperature.
(Science Note) For a more
in depth description of the workings of Ground Source heat pumps refer to the 1st law of Thermo dynamics.
(Supplied by WikiPedia)
Simple explanation of the first law of thermo dynamics
Although Heat pumps have some impact on the environment as they need electricity to run, the heat they extract from
the ground, is constantly being renewed naturally.
