A hole is drilled in the ground to a depth of 60 - 100 metres, depending on whether the property is a house or a bungalow. The hole is about 150 mm. across, (which is about 6 inches). A u-shaped pipe is installed into the bore-hole.
Instead of a boiler, a compressor unit is installed, which pumps water through the pipe and back into the unit. While the water is in the underground pipes it is heated by energy from the sun which has been naturally stored in the ground. The water gets as warm as 10-15°C. When the water returns to the unit, heat is removed from it.
The system works rather like a domestic fridge in reverse; a fridge removes heat from the food storage area and wastes the heat it removes by sending it into the air, but the the Ground Source unit removes heat from the water then sends the heat into the domestic heating system.
The cooled water then goes round the pipes again to be heated up. The water in the Ground Source system is completely separate from the water circulating in the radiators in the property.
New radiators are fitted which are bigger than standard radiators and run at a slightly lower temperature. There is no need for a flue, or for an immersion heater inside the hot water cylinder.
Ground Source systems can provide domestic hot water up to 60°C and enough heat to run radiators.
Six properties have had Ground Source Heating Systems for two years and residents are delighted with them.
These installations are in properties that have no mains gas supply, as they will benefit most. They are listed below:
Bracebridge and Bracebridge Avenue
Greenside Avenue and Birch Close
Leverton Road, Watkins Lane, North Street, and Cross Street
Full consultation has taken place with all tenants affected. Home visits, consultation events and site visits to Cuckney (where ground source heating has been installed) and to our Training and Development Centre have taken place in June 2009.
Rayton Spur Community Centre was the venue for the ground source heating consultation event for the Bracebridge tenants. Representatives from A1 Housing, E-On, Calorex, and Earth Energy provided detailed information and also gave a presentation on the installation process and the benefits of having ground source heating installed. Tenants living at Sturton le Steeple and Rampton were given the same presentation at the Rampton Village Hall.