Heating? Or cooling?

Modern day commercial requirements are usually for both. With the UK’s climate, we all need heating, and with global warming it is rapidly becoming necessary to also have the comfort of air conditioning. A working environment at a comfortable temperature results in greater productivity and happier staff.

What are Geothermal Solutions?

Whereas most conventional heating or cooling systems generate heat – either to warm a room directly, or to create the refrigerant conditions required for cooling – geothermal solutions harness the stable temperatures to be found below the ground to minimise the work that our systems have to do to bring the heating or cooling elements to the required temperature.

Put simply, the ground temperature a few metres below the surface is usually in the region of 10.5°C to 11.5°C – summer and winter. By utilising a Ground Force Heat Pump connected to a system of water and glycol filled pipes through this substrata, we end up with a system heated or cooled (as the need arises) to 11°C at virtually no cost.

Hence, whether heating or cooling, you have already got a source of material at 11°C. This represents an invaluable and cheap medium to reduce you requirement through more conventional heating/cooling means.

What exactly is involved?

The main part of installation is the sinking of the subsurface pipes to allow collection of the valuable heat from below

ground. Different systems are used according to conditions at your location, but generally, a series of 10mm bore holes are sunk to depths of between 30m and 200m. 35mm pipes are then installed and primed with a specialised fluid which transfers the subsurface temperature to ground level. From here, a ground source heat pump, linked to a conventional climate control system, transfers the valuable energy (warmth in winter, cooling in summer) to your premises.

What type of buildings are suitable?

Every situation is different. New builds are easy to handle as, during construction, it is relatively simple to install the subsurface pipes. These could be in bore holes as usual, or installed alongside building piles or foundations.

However, installation is by no means difficult on existing buildings. Bore holes can be situated under car parks or surrounding land, and can also be laid horizontally where it is not possible to drill down too far (such as areas where underground services may be a problem).

We can create the same effects as subsurface bore holes with lakes or large ponds with a depth of more than 6m, so if you have non-tidal water systems within reach, the same temperature constants are available.

What will it save?

Figures are hard to quote as every situation is different, but in the best possible circumstances, energy savings of up to 75% have been experienced. To optimise your savings, Geothermal Solutions should be a part of a comprehensive energy saving regime, incorporating good insulation and conservation.