Separating Fact from Fiction: 5 common myths about ground source heat pumps and how our on-site guide can support you in using them
Contents
MYTH 1: Ground Source Heat Pumps are more expensive than other renewable energy sources
- Case Study: Innovative funding models and ground source heat pumpsMYTH 2: Ground Source Heat Pumps have limited applications
MYTH 3: Ground Source Heat Pumps attract more risk for projects
MYTH4: Ground Source Heat Pumps are inefficient in cold climates
MYTH 5: Ground Source Heat Pumps have intensive maintenance requirements
FACT: Using Ground Source Heat Pumps is likely to be feasible for your next project
Compared to many EU countries, the UK has a low adoption rate of ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology: in 2022, France sold over eleven times as many heat pumps as the UK. (620,000 heat pumps to 55,000, according to the MCS Report: Heat Pump Rollout in France and the UK 2023’.)
We're interested in exploring the perceived barriers to this vital renewable energy solution's adoption and calling out some of the commonly held - but mistaken - beliefs about its viability, scalability and green credentials.
Why are we invested in this mission? We know that the large-scale adoption of ground source heat pumps is vital to the world's transition away from fossil fuels - as well as bringing people everyday tangible benefits in cleaner air, lower energy bills and improved living spaces.
Since cities account for about 65% of global energy use and about 70% of human-made carbon emissions, the next step towards an urban sustainable energy system will require a significant increase in the use of renewable energy, which is why ground source heat pumps have become a cornerstone of the European Commission's solution for European countries seeking to decarbonise district heating networks.
Read on for the top five myths we commonly hear at Genius Energy Lab - and our evidence-based refutations of them.
MYTH 1:
Ground Source Heat Pumps are more expensive than other renewable energy sources
One of the most persistent myths is that ground source heat pumps are prohibitively expensive.
While it's true that GSHP systems have a higher upfront cost compared to traditional heating and cooling systems and Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs), with running costs included, heat pumps can offer lifetime cost savings over these systems.
While drilling boreholes might seem more complex, the processes and tech are highly developed, and by using experts to consult on the project from the beginning, ease of installation is not an issue.
Deployed at scale, ground source heat pumps offer up to a 50% saving on running costs and, with 3rd party ground loop ownership, cost 8% less upfront than air source heat pumps. (Element Energy, Low Carbon Heat Study)
CASE STUDY: Innovative funding models and ground source heat pumps
Kensa is a UK manufacturer, installer and heat network utility provider for ground source heat pumps.
Kensa Utilities successful "Heat the Streets" project in Cornwall provides low-cost, low-carbon heating to neighbourhoods by connecting heat pumps in individual properties to a shared underground heat exchanger consisting of several boreholes drilled to around 100m. (Genius Energy Lab designed the ground arrays and developed innovative hydraulic modelling methods to allow properties to connect up).
The new build developers paid a small contribution to cover the internal installations of the heat pump and radiators, then through the ERDF funding, Kensa Utilities Ltd. (KUL) paid for the cost of the infrastructure, including the installation of the boreholes and the ground array.
With KUL covering the upfront costs, the future occupiers of the new build developments pay a monthly service charge (around £25 per month), akin to a standing charge for gas, to pay for the ground array over time.
In return, they received significant cost savings on their energy bills compared to traditional heating and cooling systems, and the project reduced the greenhouse gases associated with space heating and hot water in these homes by 70%.
MYTH 2:
Ground Source Heat Pumps have limited applications
Ground source heat pumps can be used - and are used - effectively in a wide range of various building types:
Heritage and buildings of cultural significance
Commercial building and industrial processes
Large Residential projects
Hospitals
Event and stadia
Alternative infrastructure: museums, churches and more
New build and retrofits
Schools
As well as being adaptable for residential and commercial purposes, GSHPs can power industrial processes. In fact, The European Heat Pump Association describes large ground source heat pump systems as "the future-proof technology for the new industrial revolution."
Looking beyond individual buildings, ground source heat pumps are also integral to fifth-generation district heating networks - providing heating and cooling for entire urban districts.
MYTH 3:
Ground Source Heat Pumps attract more risk for projects
Even the more ground-work-intensive aspects of a ground source heat pump project, like borehole drilling, are readily managed using an experienced GSHP consultancy.
For example, Genius Energy Lab gets involved from the beginning of a project and can stay with it through installation and inspection, mitigating any risk at key handover points.
The best consultancies will provide excellent customer service with project oversight from commission to completion, meaning you are not managing multiple contractors and disparate teams.
GEL has been working in the GSHP space for over two decades and has a network of specialist, reliable experts in every delivery aspect to plug you into if required. We provide support for tender design and contractor selection to ensure you get it right the first time every time. Learn more about our processes and risk management.
MYTH 4:
Ground Source Heat Pumps are inefficient in cold climates
The world's highest density of ground source heat pumps per capita is in the Nordic region:
Norway (60% of households)
Sweden (43% of households)
Finland (41% of households)
Estonia (34% of households)
These four nations also face the coldest winters in the continent.
And this success is no accident. It's the result of a well-designed policy mix working together to get heat pump projects over the line - after which their efficiency does all the talking.
The temperatures experienced across Europe do not impact GSHP efficiency. Unlike ASHPs, which rely on higher air temperatures to run efficiently, the relative stability of the ground temperature makes ground source heat pumps the intelligent choice for Europe's climate.
Ground source heat pumps are more efficient in the UK than gas boilers or ASHPs.
Around four units are generated for every unit of energy inputted to run the heat pump: this represents a seasonal coefficient of performance (sCOP) of around 4, or it means they are about 400% efficient.
A traditional condensing gas boiler is around 85% efficient or has an sCOP around 0.85
An Air Source Heat Pump's (ASHP) sCOP in the UK is about half that of GSHP at 2.0 - 2.2
(The UK's maritime climate also lends itself to choosing GSHPs above ASHPs, as our damp air can cause them to freeze.)
MYTH 5:
Ground Source Heat Pumps have intensive maintenance requirements
Ground source heat pumps are generally low-maintenance systems and can last twice as long as gas boilers. In one central London project, our engineers designed a system with a 125-year lifespan.
FACT:
Using Ground Source Heat Pumps is likely to be feasible for your next project
As a new technology for many, it's legitimate to have questions or concerns about the challenges ground source heat pumps might present. Still, it's equally essential to be armed with the facts about this renewable energy source's potential for transforming the UK's energy mix.
It's understood that over 80% of projects considering ground source heat pumps as the heating and cooling solution do not proceed with the technology due to misapplied rules of thumb.
If you're interested in more information about geothermal energy, ground source heat pumps - and how to utilise them as the heating and cooling source for your next project, you can download our free on-site guide.
If you'd like tailored advice from our expert team, reach out to us at: whitecoat@geniusenergylab.com