In an era of new technologies, as energy sources that have traditionally provided warmth to homes begin to deplete, it's time to start thinking about alternative sources of thermal energy that are as economical and inexhaustible as possible. One such source is the Earth's heat. It's no secret that the ground temperature at a depth of 2.5m is consistently positive, and the deeper you go, the warmer it gets. How can this be used to heat your home?
Today, there are several ways to utilise the Earth's heat for home heating. One of these is using a geothermal (ground source) heat pump. To bring energy from deep within the earth to the surface and use it for heating, there are two primary methods for drilling boreholes:
Ground Source Heat Pump Installation – Key Considerations
1. Vertical Method.
Several boreholes, 40-50m deep, must be created near the house. The larger the boreholes, the more heat can be extracted. Subsequently, heat exchange pipes, often made of cross-linked polyethylene, are installed into the boreholes. The pipes are brought to ground level and routed into the house.
It's important to remember that the pipes must be insulated at ground level or up to 1.5m deep to prevent them from freezing in colder periods. However, this method has a significant drawback – its high cost. Not everyone can afford to hire heavy machinery for drilling, although all costs naturally pay for themselves due to the heating's efficiency.
2. Horizontal Method.
With this option, there is no need to drill boreholes as in the previous point. Instead, a trench is dug to a depth of 2.5 metres, considering your climate zone to know how deep the ground freezes. Then, following the same principle, pipes are laid in the trench and routed into the house.
The primary elements of such heating are the geothermal pump itself and the heat transfer fluid pumped into the pipes. The heat transfer fluid in the pipes is a gaseous refrigerant, which operates on the principle of a refrigerator. As it descends, it heats up and is then compressed by the pump. It then moves back to the surface, where it releases heat and turns back into a gas, returning to the compressor to be compressed again.
This creates a closed heating cycle. By familiarising oneself with methods of heating a house using ground heat, it can be concluded that this is truly an effective, economical, and perhaps the most modern heating system.