Heat Pumps Today

12 John Rodgman - Managing Director of the GSHP installation firm, Borehole Solutions - has provided his professional insight into this exciting concept. Read on to learn a little more about GSHPs and discover how you can save £5,000 on installation. How to Save £5,000 on Installing a Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) Recently, the UK government announced their latest plans in helping to decarbonise residential heating systems across the country. They have pledged £450million in grants pertaining to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The aim of this scheme is to persuade people to replace boilers that are coming up to their end-of-life with new, low-carbon heat pumps. Grants will be issued over a 3-year period, starting in April next year. This funding is part of the UK’s aim to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Currently, they have pledged £3.9billion towards decarbonising heat and buildings by 2025, along with billions more in other markets, such as infrastructure for the electric automotive sector. With 75% of all carbon emissions from buildings coming from heating alone, there's no denying that making the reduction of this a focus is justified. Considering that buildings contribute to over 20% of all UK emissions; heating the country is a little over 15% of the UK’s total carbon footprint. Reducing this significant portion of our output will get us well on the way to achieving our aims. How do ground source heat pumps work? Ground source heat pumps are actually pretty simple devices! They work by installing a loop (or series of loops) underground and then circulate a fluid through the pipe. As the fluid is pumped around, it absorbs heat from the underground and is then passed through a heat exchanger to provide the heat energy in a practical, usable form. How much space do I need? It depends on the type of system you have installed, as you can either implement a horizontal version or a vertical borehole February | March 2022 T R A I N I N G system. For horizontal systems, a relatively large area is required (between 500 and 700m 2 is fairly standard), whereas vertical borehole systems require much less space. With a borehole being drilled using a specialist rig, these holes are relatively narrow in diameter, but their depth can range from around 15m to well over 100m – it very much depends on the site in question. Are ground source heat pumps energy ecient? Yes, very! According to the UK’s Ground Source Heat Pump Association, these pumps are up to 400% ecient in terms of their overall energy usage and produce carbon dioxide emissions 70% lower than conventional gas boiler heating systems. If you’re looking to make your home greener, then ground source heat pumps are a good choice to consider! How much maintenance do ground source heat pumps require? Aside from being checked annually, these systems are incredibly low maintenance and will last you a very long time. In fact, most ground source heat pumps can last somewhere between twenty and thirty years without breaking a sweat! It’s important that you always call in a qualified engineer or the contractor who installed your pump to carry out any checks or maintenance works required. How much can you save on installing a heat pump? Over the 3 years that the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is currently planned for, the government is helping to fund 90,000 boiler replacements. This equates to £5,000 per grant, making the cost of installing a heat pump more in line with a normal boiler replacement. With the added bonus of saving on energy costs, you would be set to make huge savings over the life of a heat pump. This is especially true considering the huge rise in energy costs in recent times. It is also worth noting that if you ever wish to move house, a ground source heat pump is particularly desirable. Reports have shown homes that improve just one John Rodgman