Lucion Energy provides an extensive range of ground source heat pump systems. Ground source heat pumps are a system for heating that uses the earth’s natural heat which is kept at a fairly constant temperature all year round. So unlike some systems that require enough sunlight or wind power in order to produce results, ground source heat pumps will produce constant results for you and whenever you need them. They are most suitable for under floor heating, low temperature radiators or fan assisted radiators.

What is a heat pump? Here are a couple of definitions.

A device, as used in a refrigerator, for extracting heat from a source and delivering it elsewhere at a much higher temperature.

A device that warms or cools a building by transferring heat from a relatively low-temperature reservoir to one at a higher temperature.

How do heat pumps work?

Heat pumps use electricity to extract heat from a heat source (ground, air, water body) and deliver it to your building. The reason why heat pumps harness significantly more energy than they use, is down to some clever engineering, similar to that used in refrigerators and freezers.

• Air Source Heat Pumps

Air source heat pumps extract heat from the air outside your building and pump it back through the building to provide heating. This can be used with radiators, under floor heating or hot water. Although air source heat pumps now deliver heat at a similar temperature to conventional methods such as gas or oil boilers meaning that you do not necessarily need to change your existing heat delivery system. Air source heat pumps are sometimes deemed as easier to install than ground source heat pumps because they don’t require the ground works. The cost of installation of an air pump can be from around £4000 to £9000, and the cost of running one will depend on its usage and the size of your building, yet they require little maintenance.

• Ground Source Heat Pumps

Slinkys

This is a form of heat pump that extracts heat from the ground rather than the air. All ground source heat pumps once installed are fully buried and so cause little interruption to the area outside your building after installation. Slinky’s are coils of thick plastic piping that lie within the soil and extend horizontally.

Compact collectors

Where less space is available for your ground source heat pump, compact collectors are a good option. Visually they resemble plastic radiators buried in the ground from where they absorb low grade heat They descend into the ground either vertically or horizontally depending on what space allows. Once installed compact collectors are visually unobtrusive and will not need to be dug back up.

Boreholes (Geothermal Heat Pump)

A borehole is a narrow shaft drilled into the ground. This is an example of a geothermal heat pump as it goes much further into the ground than the other forms of heat pump. Benefitting from stable and slightly warmer temperatures at depth, bore hole fed heat pumps are very efficient and require a very small foot print meaning they can be installed where space is limited.. All of our ground source heat pumps are a good option to be used in conjunction with underfloor heating, as underfloor heating works at a lower average temperature than more old fashioned forms of heating.

• Water Source Heat Pumps

Open loop

If your home is situated near to a large amount of water, whether it be a river, stream or lake, you may also be able to use this as a heat source. Open loop systems pump natural water from the water body in your grounds into a heat pump where it goes through a heat exchanger. The water is then returned to the waterbody at a cooler temperature.

Closed loop

Closed loop water source systems, in comparison to open loop systems, transfer heat across extra layers of pipe wall. They require having a pump in both loops of the system. These are often referred to as pond loops and are similar to slinky’s, placed at the bottom of a pond or lake rather than in the ground. Due to fluid and thermal properties of water the systems are more efficient than ground source options.

• Exhaust Air Heat Pump

Exhaust air heat pumps are a form of renewable energy that utilises latent heat within your property. They have a small output which is used for heating water and small heating systems

The exhaust air heat pump is similar in size to a fridge freezer, and easy to locate.

Among their benefits the exhaust air heat pump boasts low installation and running costs. The cold air produced as a by-product also has the added bonus of being used for cooling purposes.

An average exhaust air heat pump will have a typical coefficient of performance (COP) of 3, meaning it will provide 3 units of heat for every unit of energy consumed.

Interested in finding out more? Why not get in touch with us via our contact page or give us a ring on 01914618999 to discuss your personal requirements!