Ground Source Heating & Cooling Systems
Optimising the performance of geothermal energy
Geothermal or ground source energy is power extracted from heat stored deep within the earth. It offers an alternative means of heating and cooling buildings. Geothermal power has the potential to help mitigate global warming if widely deployed in place of fossil fuels. By releasing greenhouse gases locked from deep within the ground, emissions are much lower per energy unit than those of conventional fossil fuels.
The key to determining whether this is the most suitable 'renewable' for a given building is by conducting an accurate analysis of how much heating and cooling is required within the premises.
Darwind specialises in the analysis of energy consumption, a factor which is crucial to designing truly cost-effective and energy-efficient ground source systems.
And it is a model that can be used for any building anywhere in the world. By representing the processes of heating and cooling demand, we have profiled a system design that uses ground source heating in the most efficient way.
The extent of carbon savings depends on whether 'brown' or 'green' electricity is used to power the system, and on the design of the ground collector. Experience and proficiency are crucial in getting all the variables right, as an incorrectly sized collector loop can result in higher carbon emissions than if conventional fossil systems were used.
Darwind provides feasibility analysis, detailed design and coordinate construction of efficient and reliable ground source systems, for new and existing buildings.
Ground Source Technology: how it works
The temperature at around 50 metres underground is the same as the regional average outside air temperature - in the UK this is around 10°C.
During the winter this is mostly warmer than the air temperature, and during the summer it is cooler. Thus, the ground can be used as a source of energy for heating and cooling.
The performance of geothermal power is directly affected by how the heating and cooling systems are designed in the building. The greatest efficiencies are achieved via minimised temperature difference between ground and the temperature at which the heat or cool air is emitted (by air handling units for example). For new build projects the extra cost of designing emitters that are optimised for ground source systems is negligible, whereas in existing buildings this work is an additional cost to installing the ground source system.
Other solutions: