HEAT PUMPS GUIDE

The different types of heat pumps that can generate savings on heating and hot water bills.

There are a wide variety of heat pumps that can harness the energy around you to reduce the cost of your heating and hot water bills. Heat Pump Sussex can help install heat pumps that harness energy from bedrock, air, groundwater, lake water and the ground itself.

Air Source Heat Pumps

With an air source heat pump there is no need to dig, drill or have a large plot of land. Instead, the energy is collected directly from the surrounding air using an externally located air module. This can be located up to 30 meters from the outside of the building and is then linked to a heat pump unit which is located indoors for maximum efficiency.

Advantages of air source heat pumps:

• Lower investment costs
• No impact on the ground
• No large plot required
• No heat losses – heat pump unit is inside, only air unit is outside
• Normally no obligation to report installation to municipal environmental health boards

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Ground heat pumps harness the stored solar energy from just beneath the ground surface, via a horizontal collector loop which is located at a depth of approximately one metre below ground level and at a distance of approximately .75m apart. This is an ideal system for larger plots of land, with the exact area required being dependant upon the capacity of the heat pump required and the thermal conductivity of the soil in the specific location.

Advantages of ground source heat pumps:

• No drilling needed
• Lower installation costs
• The coil in the ground maintains an even temperature throughout the year
• Permits passive cooling

Groundwater Source Heat Pumps

A groundwater heat pump collects energy from the groundwater. The water is pumped up from a groundwater borehole to a heat exchanger, where the energy is recovered. The water is then discharged back through another borehole.

Advantages of groundwater source heat pumps:

• No great size of plot required
• Little impact on your plot

Bedrock Source Heat Pumps

A bedrock heat pump harnesses stored solar energy from the bedrock via a ground collector installed in one or more vertical boreholes, which can be up to 200 meters deep, the energy can then be used to provide space heating and hot water. This method of energy collection is ideal if the plot size is limited or if minimal impact on the plot is required, for larger installations where high levels of heat extraction are required multiple boreholes can be installed. It is always advisable to consult a specialist company regarding the design and installation of a vertical collector system.

Advantages of bedrock source heat pumps:

• No large plot required
• The hole in the rock maintains an even temperature throughout the year
• Little impact on the plot
• Permits passive cooling
• Suitable for all building types; large and small