GROUND OR HEAT SOURCE PUMPS!

This is a concept many people have
difficulty understanding but a simple
way to explain this is by looking at a
domestic fridge which using a pump
and a compressor produces cold in
the cabinet while expeling heat at
the back.
These pumps work in a similar way.

WHAT DOES A GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP (GSHP) DO FOR ME?

There are many reasons why you might want
a heat pump, here are three of the most important:

1. You want to save a significant amount of money on the cost of heating your home;
2. You want your home to be continually warm and cosy;
3. You feel as though you want to do something for the environment by reducing the carbon footprint of your heating system.

Heat pumps offer significant advantages for most homes. One that will give you long term benefits both financially and in the extra comfort your home will gain by having a heat pump installed.

SAVE UP TO 50% OF THE COST OF YOUR HEATING?

It sounds too good to be true – saving up to 50% of your heating costs! How is this achieved?

Ground source heat pumps collect stored solar energy from your garden, the heat pump uses this “free” energy to heat your home. There is a cost to collecting the energy and that is the electricity to run the circulating pumps, compressor and control systems of the heat pump.

Please note that the up to 50% figure
is when competing against an oil or electrical heating system, savings against gas will be less.

A HOME THAT IS CONTINUOUSLY WARM AND COSY

The way a heat pump works means that it warms up the fabric of the building and then merely tops-up the “steady state heat loss”. The heat pump has 7 different sensors, monitoring, ground loop temperatures, heating system temperatures and crucially both internal and external temperatures.

By knowing when the outside air temperature is dropping it can calculate the amount of heat a building will shortly require and start supplying the heat prior to a drop in temperatures inside the building. This means that your home will be constantly warm, comfortable and cosy.

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS, EUROPEAN AND REGIONAL GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE

RESIDENTIAL

A GSHP system can be installed in a residential structure of any size, anywhere, whether it is single-family or multi-family.
GSHPs can be installed on almost any size plot: under lawns, landscaped areas, driveways or the house itself.
An existing house can be retrofitted with a GSHP using the ductwork that is already there.
Your dealer/installer will be able to determine ductwork requirements and if any minor modifications are needed.

GSHPs offer great savings:

One of the most efficient residential heating and cooling systems available today.
Heating efficiencies up to 50% higher that other heating systems and cooling
efficiencies 20 to 40% higher than available air conditioners.
Save money in operating and maintenance costs.
Investments recouped in only a few years.

GSHPs are environmentally friendly:

Conserve natural resources by providing climate control efficiently and thus lowering emissions.
Minimize ozone layer destruction by using factory-sealed refrigeration systems, which
will seldom or never have to be recharged.
Use underground loops to transfer heat, with no external venting and no air pollution.

COMMERCIAL

GSHPs are a cost effective, energy efficient and environmentally friendly
way of heating and cooling buildings.
They reliably deliver quality air-conditioning and heating,
on demand, in every season.
GSHPs are appropriate for new construction as well as retrofits
of older buildings.
Their flexible design requirements
make them a good choice for schools, high-rises, government buildings, apartments and restaurants – almost any commercial property.
Lower operating and maintenance costs, durability and energy conservation make Ground Source Heat Pumps the smart
choice for commercial applications.

Ground Source Heat Pumps offer great benefits:

Simultaneously heat and cool different parts of the same building.
Very quiet – users do not know when the system is operating.
Can be set up in multiple zones, with each zone having an individual room control.
Greater freedom in building design due to 50 to 80% less mechanical room space.
No outside equipment to hide, eliminating vandalism and roof top units.
Pipes have a 50-year life expectancy.
All electric, which eliminates multiple utility services.
Eliminate boiler and chiller maintenance.
Ground heat exchanger is maintenance free and will last over 40 years.

ALL ABOUT GROUND WORKS

The ground works are a vital
part of any heat pump installation.
It is out intention to find the best
solution at the least cost to the client.
The options vary depending on the amount of land and budget available.

GROUND LOOPS

Ground loops consist of a series of pipes buried in the garden at a depth of 1 metre.
The ground temperature at this depth is fairly constant between 14 to 20 degrees C throughout the year.
The heat pump uses a ground loop (pipe) with a water and glycol mix to capture some of this heat.

There are two main types, and the one to use depends on the amount of land available:

Straight ground loop
Slinky ground loop

COMPACT COLLECTORS

The patented compact collector allows a ground loop to be used where space is at a premium.
The collectors can be buries flat to reduce the depth of the earthworks or vertically to reduce the area needed for the panel.

BORE HOLES

Bore holes offer a solution
where very little land is available.
A vertical hole is drilled to a depth
of 50 to 80 metres through the rock underneath the garden.

STREAMS, RIVERS AND LAKES

The option also exists to bury a pipe on the bottom of a lake or river and collect heat from the water.

SUMMER COOLING FROM YOUR HEAT PUMP

By adding one of our VBX units into the roof space of your home you can provide effective summer cooling.
The unit draws hot air in from the house, takes heat out and returns the cooled air.
The heat is fed into the ground loop via the heat pump and stored in the ground for later use.

THE ICE ENERGY ECODAN MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP

Ice Energy has been working with Mitsubishi Electric to produce a new installed version of their award winning air source heat pump – the Ecodan.

This amazing new product will offer a heat pump solution where garden space is at a premium.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General:

How efficient is a GSHP?

The GSHP is one of the most efficient residential heating and cooling systems available today, with heating efficiencies up to 50% higher than other heating systems and cooling efficiencies 20 to 40% higher than available air conditioners. That directly translates into savings on utility bills.

Can one system provide both space heating and cooling
for my home? And what about heating hot water?

Yes. A GSHP can be a combination heating/cooling and hot water heating system.
You can change from one mode to another with a simple flick on your indoor thermostat.
Using a desuperheater, some GSHPs can save you up to 50% on your water -heating bill by preheating tank water.

GSHPs systems are safe and protected. With no exposed equipment outdoors, children or pets cannot injure themselves or damage exterior units.
GSHPs have no open flame, Flammable fuel or potentially dangerous fuel storage tanks.

What about comfort?

A GSHP system moves heat at (30 to 40 degrees C) throughout your home or business
via standard ductwork.
An even comfort level is created because the warm air is moved in slightly higher volumes
and saturates the building with warmth more evenly.
This helps even out cold or hot spots and eliminated the cold air blasts common with fossil
fuel furnaces.

How effective is this underground system?

The buried pipe, or ground loop, is the most recent technical advancement in heat pump technology.
Recently, new heat pump designs and improved buried pipe materials have been combined
to make GSHP systems the most efficient heating and cooling systems available.

Are GSHP systems guaranteed?

Nearly all GSHP manufacturers offer a warranty for major components that is equivalent to the warranties for conventional heating and cooling systems.
Manufacturers of plastic pipe used for ground loops warrant their products for 50 years.

Can these systems be used for commercial, industrial or apartment requirements?

GSHP systems create a huge retrofit market not subject to wild fluctuations in housing construction.
There is also ample opportunity for stable growth benefiting the dealer and his employees.
In addition, these systems are relatively maintenance-free, requiring only regular filter changes.
This means fewer maintenance and support calls. There is no outside equipment, so wear and tear is less.

Savings/Costs:

How will I save money with a GSHP?

GSHPs save money, both in operating costs and maintenance costs.
Investments can be recouped in as little as 3 years.
There is a positive cash flow, since the energy savings usually exceed payment on the system.

Installation:

Are GSHP systems difficult to install?

Most units are easy to install, especially when they are replacing another forced-air system.
This is known as a retrofit.
GSHPs can be installed in areas unsuitable for fossil fuels furnaces because there is no combustion and thus no need to vent exhaust fumes.
Ductwork must be installed in homes without an existing air distribution system.
Your dealer or installer can assess the cost of installing ductwork.

Can I install a ground source heat exchanger myself?

It is not recommended.
Thermal fusion of the pipe, drilling and trenching are procedures best handled by licensed professionals.
Non professional installations may result in less than optimum performance, which could cancel out anticipated savings.

How far apart are trenches and vertical boreholes spaced?

Trenches are spaced about one and a half metres apart while boreholes are spaced three to five metres apart.

How long does it take to install a vertical system?

With the vertical installation, time varies with conditions on the site such as type and depth of the overburden, type and hardness of the rock and the presence of aquifers.
Typical drilling times are one or two days; total installation can be accomplished in two days.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the horizontal and vertical installations, respectively?

Horizontal installations are simpler, requiring lower-cost equipment.
However, they require longer lengths of pipe due to seasonal variations in soil temperature and moisture content.
Since a horizontal heat exchanger is laid out in trenches, a larger area is usually required than for a vertical system.
Where land is limited, vertical installations or a compact Slinky horizontal installation can be ideal.
If regional soil conditions include extensive hard rock, a vertical installation may be the only available choice.
Vertical installations tend to be more expensive due to the increased cost of drilling versus trenching, but since the heat exchanger is buried deeper than with a horizontal system, vertical systems are usually more efficient and can get by with less total pipe.
Your GSHP contractor will be able to help you decide which configuration best meets your specific needs.

Editor: terencejgolder@yahoo.co.uk
Translation: geraldmartin67@hotmail.com
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