Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) are an efficient green energy solution to heat and/or cool homes on a daily basis.
Before installing a ground source heat pump, it is important to note a few key factors about your home and region:
The ground in your region must be suitable to dig a trench or borehole
GSHPs will likely be a more viable and cost effective investment if replacing electricity or coal rather than gas
As GSHPs produce heat at lower temperatures than traditional systems, your home needs to be well insulated in order for the GSHP system to be effective
The cost of installing the system will be lowered if it is installed while other building work is being completed, or during new construction
Where can you find GSHPs?
Closed loop ground source heat pumps make up the largest part of the global geothermal heat pump market. Since open loop systems depend on groundwater reserves, regulatory barriers restrict the expansion of open loop geothermal around the globe.
Europe is the largest ground source geothermal market, followed by North America and Asia Pacific, respectively. The four largest geothermal countries, all found in Europe, are Sweden, Germany, France, and Switzerland.
Across the globe, upward of 3 million GSHP systems are installed in 43 countries. The breakdown is 47% in Europe, 37% in the US and Canada, and 16% in Asia. In Asia, the market leaders are China, Japan, and South Korea.
Although not expected by many, ground source heat pumps are actually frequently used in cold climate regions, as seen by their popularity in Scandinavia.
In Sweden, GSHPs meet 90% of the annual heat energy demand, and approximately 30% of homes have GSHP systems.
The number of countries that have ground source installations has been on the rise: 26 countries in 2000, 33 in 2005, 43 in 2010, and 48 in 2015. In terms of 12kW units, it is the equivalent of 4.16 million units.
The size of the units can range from 5.5 kW for domestic installations to over 150 kW for commercial units.
Why Join the Green Energy Revolution?
By installing a ground source heat pump, you are using a renewable energy source, which will directly reduce your carbon footprint. What impact does switching to this renewable energy source really have on the planet?
When setting up a ground source geothermal system in a residential home, it is equivalent to taking 2 cars off the road or planting 750 trees.
Once the loops are installed in the ground, they are entirely self-sufficient and will survive for decades.
As geothermal heat pumps have a 300-400% efficiency factory, they use a lot less energy than more traditional sources of energy.
Heat pumps have a very low environmental impact, and can produce zero emissions if a renewable source of energy, such as solar or wind, is used to power the pump.
With so many positive effects on the planet, it is no surprise that the number of homes installing heat pumps across the globe is on the rise.
Guest post written by Jasmine at Greenmatch UK, a green energy information site with a strong focus on ground source heat pumps.
http://www.uaf.edu/files/acep/Ground-Source- Heat-Pumps- in-Cold- Climates.pdf
http://rabehardware.com/the-impact- geothermal-has- on-the- environment/