Many homes are suitable for this type of technology, but you do need:
- Enough outside space available for a trench or borehole from which the heat will be sourced
- Ground that is suitable for digging a trench or borehole
In addition we advise the following:
- Make sure you have already invested in measures to save energy on your heating, such as insulating lofts, walls, and floors
- The payback on a GSHP is better when the heating fuel being replaced is electricity, oil, or LPG. Based on recent high fuel prices it can be a cheaper form of space heating than gas also, but the payback is longer
- GSHPs can be combined with radiators, but under floor heating is better as it works at a lower temperature (30-35 degrees centigrade)
- You will usually need extra heating for your hot water, e.g. an immersion heater
Ground Source Heat Pumps are most suitable for homes that are well insulated, because otherwise they can become very expensive to install. The cost of a system is directly related to its size, which is in turn driven by the heat it needs to deliver. If you live in an older building with very high heat loss, this can add substantially to the capital cost on installing a heat pump. Money spent on upgrading wall, floor and loft insulation can save a large amount on this capital cost. Unfortunately, some older buildings can never be made sufficiently energy efficient to use the modern heating distribution systems that go with Ground Source Heat Pumps, such as low temperature underfloor heating, or low temperature radiators.
You should consult a professional installer if you are considering such a system.
