1. Ground-source heat pumps

14 January, 2009

A ground-source heat-pump system at Mitsubishi Electric’s headquarters at Hatfield is linked to closed-loop coils laid in trenches to extract energy from the ground and help the system perform over 300% more efficiently than a traditional chiller/boiler combination.

The ground-source heat pump, used either in borehole or slinky installations, is a long-established technology in many areas of northern Europe. As targets for reducing carbon loom ever closer and energy prices continue to rise in the UK, the technology is becoming increasingly attractive. Heat pumps extract energy from the Sunlight that heats up the Earth. They convert this low-grade heat into high-grade heat. Even taking into account energy losses from electricity transmission, ground-source heat pumps offer impressive efficiencies. Most ground-source heat pumps have a coefficient of performance of around four.

More refrigerant bans possible, says government

The government could tighten up the rules that restrict the use of global warming refrigerant gases including speeding up phase-out programmes and introducing new bans, according to a spokesman from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Baxi research suggests schools strongly support heat decarbonisation

A survey conducted by Baxi of 200 state school estates managers, consultant engineers and M&E contractors has found that while enthusiasm for Net Zero and support for low carbon heating systems in schools is thriving, persistent barriers remain.

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