Ground source heat pumping (GSHP) was described by Vermeer’s Curt Dubbin at Trenchless Live 2010 as; a process by which heat is moved into and out of the earth for the purpose of heating and cooling a building or dwelling, as well as producing hot water.
“While commonly referred to as “÷geothermal’ systems in the residential market, technically GSHP is not the same as “÷geothermal,’ which refers to the heat produced solely by the Earth’s inner core, or magma,” Mr Dubbin said.
In his presentation, Mr Dubbin described GSHP as having four basic components:
- Loop system buried in ground or submerged in pond or lake
- Heat pump system – water-to-air or water-to-water
- Air distribution system (i.e. ducts), and
- Hot water system.
Within this, GSHP works in two modes – heating and cooling.
In the heating mode, the fluid in the loop moves heat from the ground or water source to an indoor heat pump, and in the warmer months, the process is reversed to cool the home.
Installation
There are three types of closed-loop systems:
- Horizontal ground closed loop;
- Vertical ground closed loop, and
- Pond or lake closed loop.
HDD can be used for the installation of GSHP systems and opens up a new market for the trenchless industry.
Find out more in May!
The final in the series of three networking events, the ASTT, along with Great Southern Press, will be holding a networking session on 12 May, at the Novotel Brisbane, from 4-7pm, which will focus on the future of HDD and geothermal.
The networking event looks to explore the future opportunities, such as geothermal, for HDD and ways in which the industry can take advantage of these emerging opportunities.