In an era of new technologies, as traditional energy sources for heating homes diminish, it's time to consider alternative and sustainable heat energy sources that are as economical and inexhaustible as possible. Ground source heat is considered one such type of energy. It's no secret that the ground temperature at a depth of 2.5m is consistently positive, and the deeper you go, the warmer the ground becomes. How can this be used to heat your home?
Currently, there are several methods for utilising ground heat to warm a house. One of these involves using a geothermal heat pump (ground source heat pump). To bring energy from the earth's depths to the surface and use it for heating, two main drilling methods are available:
Ground Source Heat Pump Installation – Key Considerations
1. Vertical Method.
Several boreholes, 40-50m deep, must be drilled near the house. The larger the boreholes, the more heat can be extracted from them. Heat exchange pipes, often made of cross-linked polyethylene in a ringed configuration, are then installed into the boreholes. These pipes are brought to ground level and routed into the house.
It's crucial to remember that the pipes at ground level or up to 1.5m deep must be insulated to prevent them from freezing in colder weather. However, this method has a significant drawback: its high cost. Not everyone can afford to hire the heavy machinery required for drilling, although all expenses naturally pay for themselves over time due to the heating's economic efficiency.
2. Horizontal Method.
With this option, there is no need to drill boreholes as in the previous method. Instead, a trench is dug to a depth of 2.5 meters, taking into account your climatic zone and the depth at which the ground freezes. Then, following the same principle, pipes are laid in the trench and routed into the house.
The primary components of this heating system are the geothermal heat pump and the heat transfer fluid itself, which is pumped through the pipes. The heat transfer fluid in the pipes is a gaseous refrigerant, operating on the same principle as a refrigerator. As it descends, it warms up, and the pump compresses the gas. It then rises to the surface, where it releases heat and turns back into a gas, returning to the compressor to be re-compressed.
This creates a closed heating cycle. By familiarising oneself with methods of heating a house using ground source heat, it can be concluded that this is indeed an effective, economical, and perhaps the most modern heating system available.