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Environmental Benefits
Geothermal heating systems are becoming more important in the 21st century because of their reduced impact on the environment.
Due largely to the shortage of fossil fuels, together with government policy aimed at reducing Carbon Dioxide emission, oil and gas prices are at an all time high.
A geothermal Heat Pump System addresses both of these issues as the system uses a free renewable heat source i.e. ground heat recharged by solar heat, and produces neither any polluting emissions nor any waste product.
As a result of not producing polluting emissions or any waste product there are no damaging side effects to the environment. There is also no risk of a build up of gas or fumes in or around the building, harmful leakage or materials that can be harmful to health.
The diagram to the right shows the movement of heat from the ground into our own offices, which are heated using a geothermal system. Cool liquid is pumped into underground pipes in the form of vertical boreholes or horizontal "slinkies", where it is warmed by natural ground heat. The warm water then returns to the building where the Heat Pump extracts the heat from the liquid in order to heat the building. The cooled liquid then passes out from the heat pump back into the underground pipes where the cycle starts again. |
As neither oil nor LPG are required to provide the heat source there is not a requirement to order or coordinate fuel deliveries. This also eliminates the risk of fuel spills during delivery and the need to construct a specialist fuel tank housing to contain spillage. Fuel tanks can also give off a hydro-carbon smell in warm weather
The system has very low maintenance requirements with minimum service and maintenance by service engineers.
Once the system is installed there is minimum visual impact as there are no unsightly fuel storage facilities, pipe work, control panels or specialist equipment on the outside of the house.
Economic Benefits
It is most efficient and economic to use a night tariff to charge the storage tanks and the underfloor heating before 7:00am. Then it is a case of topping up when required. This tends to be ideal for homes where there is morning activity, with less activity in the day. The system then can be timed to switch back on in the afternoon ready for the evening activity.
If the system is timed to turn off at say 9:00pm , heat will still emanate from the underfloor heating for some hours following, and all the storage water tanks can be used for baths, showers, etc. The system then effectively goes to sleep and wakes early, e.g. 5:00am to charge up the system for the next day.
To minimise the heating bill, we would recommend that your normal usage is monitored after installation. You can then choose the times that the system is activated based on the requirements of your home. This can then be followed by choosing an energy supplier that results in the lowest overall bill based on their different day/night rates. Within the storage tanks, we can also include an immersion coil for electrical heating of the water if required.
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Once the heat pump has collected the heat energy from the ground, this heat can be distributed throughout the building. In our own offices, heating is provided on the ground floor using underfloor heating, and on the first floor using high velocity air jets. |
Hover the mouse pointer over the picture to see the heating concept in action |
Of course, a Heat Pump system installed by OGI is not limited to providing heat during the winter months. By reversing the process, our geothermal energy system can also extract heat from the building and disperse that heat into the ground, providing low cost cooling during the summer!
The cooling effect is distributed throughout the building using high velocity air jets. |
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Hover the mouse pointer over the picture to see the cooling concept in action |
If you would like to know more about Geothermal Energy, email us with your name, address and telephone number and we will contact you as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
DWA Architects Powerpoint Presentation
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© OGI Groundwater Specialists Ltd 2007