subject: What Are Ground Source And Air Source Heat Pumps? [print this page] The principle is that it takes less energy to do this than is gained from the heat it captures; typically the ratio is 1 to 4. There are a number of types of heat pump that are available for domestic use in the UK. Ground Source Heat Pumps take heat from the ground outside and Air Source Heat Pumps take heat from the air outside your home. The principle is the same in that the Heat Pump concentrates the heat from outside by compressing it to raise the temperature and then this is transferred inside the home using a heat exchanger.
Ground Source Heat pumps take the energy from the sun warming the soil by running a coolant in a long loop of pipe, called the ground loop. This can be laid horizontally about a meter under the surface or, if space is constrained, it can be laid vertically in a hole bored into the ground. As the coolant circulates it is warmed by the soil and then it is returned to the Heat Pump this heat energy is transferred into your home. The now cooled coolant then returns through the ground loop to collect more heat. A Ground Source Heat Pump differs from a Geothermal Heat Pump it gets the heat energy from the soil warmed by the sun. Geothermal refers to energy derived from the rocks and the core of the earth. Geothermal Heat Pumps are more common in countries with volcanic activity, like Iceland, and lend themselves to commercial scale systems. Air Source Heat Pumps work in a similar to Ground Source Heat Pumps except that there is no need for a ground loop as the heat energy is extracted directly from the air surrounding the unit.
Both Ground and Air Source Heat pumps work well when the outside temperature are sub-zero as they can still compress and concentrate the available heat. Unlike conventional fossil fuel heating they arent very efficient at heating water to very high temperatures, but up to 60oC is possible, which is fine for washing. This means that they are bettered suited to well insulated homes with under floor heating or large low temperature radiators. Air Source Heat Pumps require less space, therefore are better suited to cities, such as London, although they can be a little noisy. Ground Source Heat Pumps need space to bury the ground loop and are more efficient for larger properties. There are grants available for heat pumps under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment; 850 for air source heat pump and 1250 for ground source or water source heat pump. Installations that qualify will also qualify for a regular payment based on the amount of heat the system produces under the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme. Funding will also be available under the Green Deal Scheme.
