AIR SOURCE & GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
heat pumps are also able to provide environmentally friendly and extremely low- cost cooling systems, effectively as a simple ‘add-on’ to the heating network.
How can heat pumps provide cooling?
Heat pumps offer cooling using the same unit as they do for heating. Ground source heat pumps can, therefore, both heat and cool a home using the same set-up, simply by adding a cooling module. In warmer weather, a ground source heat pump system can operate in passive or active cooling mode depending on the set-up. Passive cooling is ideal for homes and apartments, while active cooling is better for commercial spaces with consistently high temperatures. While ground source heat pumps can offer active or passive cooling, air source heat pumps can only offer active cooling.
Passive cooling
How networked ground source heat pumps work?
A ground source heat pump is a renewable heating system that extracts low-temperature solar energy stored in the ground using buried pipework. This is transferred to a discreet heat pump within each dwelling where it is compressed into a higher temperature. Networked ground source heat pumps utilise one ground array to provide heating for multiple properties. These are ideal for high- rise, high-density developments and are the solution to providing low-carbon heat to entire communities, for the lowest cost and grid impact. Remarkably, networked ground source
Networked ground source heat pumps can provide heat in the winter as the ambient ground temperature is warmer than the air temperature and therefore can provide warmth when passed through a heat pump. With the ambient ground temperature in the summer being cooler than the temperature in the building, the same system can, therefore, be used for cooling by simply bypassing the heat pump in the warmer months. Known as passive cooling, all that is required is a small circulation pump and fan to distribute the cool air around the property, which can be achieved at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional air conditioning. Passive heating is low energy, low cost and unique to ground source systems. Passive heating is a highly effective feature that’s entirely unique to ground source heat pumps. It provides much-
needed comfort in the summer, uses very little energy, and does so without a bulky outdoor air conditioning unit. As UK summers become longer and hotter, this capability offers a sustainable way to cool homes that are increasingly at risk of overheating.
Active cooling
Active cooling reverses the heat pump cycle, pulling heat out of the building and returning it to the ground. It is best suited to buildings with higher or continuous cooling needs, like industrial or commercial units. While ground source heat pumps can offer active cooling, which acts like air conditioning, where they really excel is in passive cooling, which is a more efficient and sustainable form of cooling that offers overheating protection. In active cooling with networked ground source heat pumps, the heat pump operates like a refrigerator, absorbing the heat from the building and releasing it to the ground. While this is more energy-intensive than passive cooling, it is still more efficient than traditional air conditioning.
A win-win situation
Networked ground source heat pumps are a low-carbon, low-cost innovation. Their cooling capabilities are almost a by-product of the heating and hot water solution, making them a win-win option for the developer and the homeowner alike. They also support the Part O Building regulations, which focus on mitigating overheating in new residential buildings. With networked ground source heat pumps still being relatively new in this country, many building services and environmental engineers may not be aware of their cooling capabilities and advantages. They are, however, in the perfect position to introduce this very ecologically sound and inexpensive way of proving cooling for high- rise, high-density developments.
Caspian®
Fan Convectors
now redesigned to boost heat output by 20%
A single heating solution for a variety of applications - high, low or ceiling mounted installation
- Engineered for a 20% increase in heat output* - EC only fans for improved efficiency - 5-year guarantee - Manufactured in the UK
- Greater energy savings when specified with Smart Control
* Average increase across Caspian product range
01245 324900 |
sales@smithsep.co.uk |
SmithsEP.co.uk | @SmithsEP_UK | #ThinkSmiths Smith’s, providing comfort for the built environment
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