Ground Source Heat Pumps

Globally, tackling emissions from heating is very important for nations.  Most governments have unclear strategies towards decarbonizing and they need to form policies to move forward to endorse cost effective manageable zero-carbon systems of electrification based on green grids. Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) are based on underfloor pipes which require electricity to start and it can generate up to 4 units from one unit of electricity. Such a system of pipes can be installed beneath the garden with an antifreeze loop where heat from the ground goes into the fluid in the pipe. The heat can be shifted to radiators, underfloor heating systems, and warm air convectors and to water. The installations can be made horizontal or vertical, depending on the space available in the house. 

GSHP can reduce the overall electricity bill by 75 percent and the cost of installation can be around £13,000 to £20,000 for medium to the small residential unit. A combination of air-source and ground-source systems can help to reduce the energy bill of the house significantly. 

The problem of switching to such systems on large scale means complete redesigning the power stations and using EVs for transportation. New ways may also involve balancing demand with smart metering, battery storage, demand-side management and incorporating green smart technologies. 

Many countries in Northern Europe have started installing heat pumps in homes and a growing number of such deployments can be seen in Germany and Sweden.   About 37 per cent of the UK’s GHGs comes from heating needs, which can be restricted by endorsing advanced hybrid GSHP projects.  China is working towards the development of one of the largest such pumps at Beijing Daxing International Airport where it is estimating to generate 563,600 GJ of energy that will cut over 21K tons of coal and carbon emission by more than 15K tons.