30
INSTALL A GROUND-
SOURCE HEAT PUMP
If you want to pioneer a fascinating new renewable energy technology for heating, cooling
and hot water, then this is for you. The ground-source heat pump, also known as a geothermal
heat pump, functions essentially like a reverse refrigerator when in heating mode, extracting
warmth from the Earth; in cooling mode, it uses the Earth as a heat sink.
A ground-source heat pump has a loop of tubing that is laid out either horizontally, buried in trenches, or
vertically, in a deep shaft drilled into the ground. This is the main disadvantage of the system in an urban
setting, as the former requires lots of space, and the latter a very deep hole in the ground, making
installation problematic.
If you are in a suitable location to install such a system and, importantly, have a properly insulated building, it
can be very effective indeed, providing both heat in winter and cooling in summer with a value of as much as
£1,000 per year. The cost of the system depends on the geological properties of the area, but can be in the
£6,000-£12,000 range.
A geothermal heat pump requires little maintenance, and provided that a minimal level of care is maintained,
its functioning lifetime is in the region of 200 years. Invest in one of these, and no one will ever again be able to
accuse you of thinking in terms of short-term solutions.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64