Heat Pumps
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IVT have been manufacturing Heat Pumps since 1970
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Over a million Heat Pumps Installed making them one of of the worlds largest Heat pump suppliers
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IVT is owned by the German Bosch Group
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IVT is one of the leading heat pump manufacturers and energy solution designers in Europe. They focus on developing and manufacturing heat pumps that provide the optimal system with respect to the environment and heat economy.
WHO ARE IVT?
Why Choose IVT Ground Source Heat Pump?
Why ground source heat pumps?
There are many reasons why you might consider ground source heat as a way of heating your home but here are three of the most important:
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Cost
Ground source heat pumps can enable you to save significant amounts on the heating of your home.
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Constant, reliable heating
You want to ensure your home is constantly warm when you need it most. By using ground source heat you can future proof yourself against rising bills and supply issues.
The environment
By using a ground heat source to provide the energy for your heating system, you can help do your bit for the environment as ground source heat pumps produce no harmful carbon emissions.
How do Ground Source Heat Pumps work?
There are many heat pump misconceptions which can sometimes leave people feeling confused as to how ground source heat pumps work. However, put simply, this type of heating pump moves stored solar energy, sometimes referred to as ground source heat, into the home to provide a total solution for domestic hot water and all heating needs.
Overview
Ground source heat pumps not only make use of renewable energy in the form of ground source heat, they do so in a highly efficient manner.
As heat pumps simply move energy rather than creating it by burning fossil fuels, they are capable of producing up to 4kW of heat using just 1kW of electricity. This gives a potential efficiency of 400%, sometimes stated as a Co-efficient Of Performance (COP) of 4:1*.
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Collecting the heat
Collection of this ground source heat is achieved by installing a series of pipes (a ground loop) in the ground. Pipes can use boreholes or be laid in trenches for heat pumps. The surrounding soil is at a higher temperature than the glycol mixture contained in the pipes. Typically 10ËšC – 13ËšC which gently warms the glycol mix as it is pumped around the ground loop.
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A small temperature increase within the ground loop fluid is all ground source heat pumps require. The returning warmed liquid is fed into a Heat Exchanger / Evaporator.
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The Evaporator
The purpose of the Evaporator within the heating pump is to take the collected ground source heat out of the ground loop liquid and return it cooled to the pipe for the next cycle. It does this by using a refrigerant that boils at approximately -10ËšC. The act of boiling turns the refrigerant into a vapour which is then moved into the Compressor.
The Compressor
The Compressor does exactly what the name suggests: the vapour is compressed in volume and as its volume reduces, the temperature increases to levels of between 75ËšC and 125ËšC. The gas is then fed through a Heat Exchanger within the heating pump.
The Heat Exchanger
Feeding the hot gas through a condenser allows the refrigerant to turn back into a liquid. As it condenses, its heat is passed into the Heat Exchanger which supplies the domestic hot water and powers the central heating system using the ground source heat extracted originally.
The Expansion Valve
To complete the closed circuit of the ground source heat pump, the only thing which needs to be done is reduce the pressure of the condensed liquid. This is achieved via the Expansion Valve.
*It is important to note that to get the most efficiency from your heat pump, it is important to make your home as well insulated as possible. COP levels will also depend on whether the house is heated with radiators or underfloor etc.
Types of Geothermal Heat Pumps.
Vertical Ground Loop (Bore Hole)
The vertical ground loop collects solar energy stored in the bedrock. A hole is drilled into the bedrock and a pipe is installed to a depth of between 100 and 200 meters. The exact depth depends on the house, size of heat pump and surrounding conditions.
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A common myth about heat pumps is that they will not work if several homes in the locality have already drilled down to the bedrock. This is definitely not true! The earth’s ability to store heat is almost endless – there’s enough heat for everyone.
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Benefits
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High efficiency
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Low impact on the property
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Horizontal Ground Loop
The horizontal ground loop collects solar energy stored in the ground, near the surface. If the bedrock is too deep down, or if you don’t want to drill for other reasons, this is a good option.
The loop is buried about one metre below the surface, and energy is extracted from the ground. The length of the loop depends on the house, the size of the heat pump and local ground conditions.
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Benefits
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Lower installation cost compared to vertical ground loop
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Can also be used to extract heat from lakes.
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​A Groundwater Heat Pump
A groundwater heat pump collects energy from the groundwater.The water is pumped up from a water borehole to a heat exchanger, where the energy is recovered. The water is then discharged back through another well. This solution can be the best choice when groundwater is readily available.
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Benefits
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Groundwater maintains a relatively high, even temperature, year round.
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