Ground Source Heat pumps : How they work ?

Ground Source Heat pumps How they work

Ground Source Heat Pumps take the energy contained in your garden's soil in order to put it to better use in your home. This technique has been extensively developed in recent years, both for new-build homes and renovation projects, thanks to its economic and ecological benefits.

How does it work?

Ground source heat pumps offer three ways of collecting energy from the ground, which means that it can work for all plots of land .
The D/X horizontal ground collector requires, depending on climate conditions, an outside surface of between 100% and 120% of the surface to be heated.The brine horizontal ground collector requires , depending on climate conditions , an outside surface of between 150% and 200% of the surface to be heated. When the land is too small or irregular, a vertical collector is used, via a geothermal probe which collects energy from a depth of between 50 and 100 m. Another alternative is to collect energy from water tables underground, often at a depth of between 10 and 20 m, whose temperature is constant throughout the year.

The heat pump then recovers this "free" renewable energy captured outdoors and transfers it into the home, via an underfloor heating network ( D/X system) or via a conventional water distribution circuit (e.g. underfloor heating, radiator network, fan convectors), for D/X to water and water to water heat pumps.

Horizontal ground collector

Depending on climate conditions, a horizontal ground collector requires an outside surface of between 100% and 150% of the surface to be heated. The network of coils, a closed circuit filled with refrigerant or glycol water is buried 60 cm to 80 cm below ground. This is the most widespread solution in France because it is the simplest to install and provides the highest efficiency.

Vertical collector

A geothermal probe filled with glycol water circulates inside a closed circuit and collects energy from between 50 and 150 metres underground. A vertical collector is more expensive than a horizontal collector but remains popular in some European Countries like Germany or Switzerland where the surface of the gardens is small. It is a good technical solution for the big buildings.

Groundwater collector

LTo take heat from groundwater is a good option where ground water is available in enough supply at a depth of 10 to 20 metres. This is in great demand from customers who have small or uneven plots of land. The water captured comes from water tables underground, the temperature of which is constant throughout the year (between 10 and 12°C), meaning the heat pump will have a high efficiency.