The most significant advantage of geothermal heat pumps is the earth’s thermal storage capacity. Regardless of the air temperature, the ground’s temperature is between seven and 13 degrees Celsius all year round. This means that brine-to-water heat pumps reliably deliver a relatively uniform output all year round. In contrast, the performance of air-to-water heat pumps decreases during the cooler season. The heat pump then needs more energy to achieve the desired heating energy.
An advantage of all heat pumps like Geothermal heat pumps is their energy efficiency: With one part of electricity, a brine-water heat pump generates up to 5 parts of heat and is, therefore, an extremely efficient way of heating a building – a heat pump in combination with a solar system is even more economical. A disadvantage of brine-to-water heat pumps is the high acquisition costs compared to air-to-water heat pumps resulting from the more complex installation. Consider if the electricity company near me can offer better energy rates to support your home’s needs.
Boreholes at A Depth Of 100 Meters: Heat Pump with The Geothermal Probe
The drilling depth depends on the technology used: the most common are heat pumps with a geothermal probe that is installed or “sunk” about 40 to 100 meters deep into the earth. Due to its verticality, a geothermal probe requires relatively little space. Whether such deep drilling is possible depends on the location and the regulations of the respective municipality. An alternative to the geothermal probe is geothermal collectors, inserted horizontally into the earth at a depth of about one and a half meters. Also, energy piles or baskets, as well as earth registers, are installed in individual cases.
By heating to produce the ground probe and the earth’s collectors extracts heat: It works using a laid pipe system that flows through the brine. This mixture of water and antifreeze absorbs the ambient heat and forwards it to the “central unit.” There the heat leads to the evaporation of a refrigerant. The subsequent compression of the resulting refrigerant gas results in a further increase in temperature: this is then transferred to the building as heating energy via a heat exchanger (heat exchanger).
