ᐅ Experiences with Ground Source Heat Pumps

Created on: 23 Oct 2015 21:40
S
Saruss
Hello,
here I would like to share some experiences and data regarding my brine heat pump and deep drilling, based in part on the expert’s "questionnaire":

a) What is the soil composition on your property?
Up to 3m (10 feet) silty, fine sandy, clayey soil
Up to 4m (13 feet) slope debris, rock fragments
Then bedrock (mainly limestone)

b) How deep was the drilling?
Drilled twice to a depth of 72m (236 feet)

c) How much did the drilling cost?
€10,400 including double U-probes DN25
Grouting material with 2.0 W/mK thermal conductivity
Permitting process (building permit / planning permission)
Pressure-tight house entry at the basement and underground routing of supply lines (about 25m (82 feet))
Filling/draining equipment, filling, pressure testing, etc. (all inclusive)

d) How much did the system cost?
System: Tecalor TTc 05 with heating output at B0/W35 of 5.8 kW and coefficient of performance (COP) of 4.8
Cost: €9,800

e) Were there any difficulties during installation, if so, what kind?
Because the water used to flush out the drilled material during drilling seeped away, a "small compressor" was needed to blow it out with air. However, it had to be placed on a neighbor’s property who had not yet started building. The machine was the size and approximate weight of a 20-ton truck but was off-road capable. This caused a 2-day delay because the compressor first had to be transported to our site. No additional costs were charged.

f) How is the daily operation?
"Like a refrigerator." Once the parameters on the heating system are correctly set, the only thing that should be done is occasionally reading the information/data such as operating hours and source temperature. Otherwise, it runs "on its own," just like any heating system. When the door is closed, the unit is virtually inaudible. Very discreet since, apart from the cabinet in the utility room, nothing else is visible (all brine pipes are underground).

e) What are the operating costs for which living area?
Currently, a living area of 180sqm (1937 sqft) is heated, plus an additional 65sqm (700 sqft) of cellar space within the insulated thermal envelope (these rooms are around 15-16°C (59-61°F) on the coldest days). From September 2014 to September 2015, 2,000 kWh of electricity was consumed for heating and hot water (2 adults, 1 baby, 1 toddler). The house is a KfW-70 standard building according to the 2009 energy saving regulations, which already met the required technical standards before the central ventilation system with enthalpy heat exchanger was installed (we decided to add this after the initial applications).

f) to be continued ....

Note regarding the comparison of the coefficient of performance (COP):
Since optimizing the heating curve and settings at the end of last year, the system has had a COP of about 5.5. Operating hours are around 1200; the deep borehole was drilled approximately 20% deeper than initially recommended by the companies, at our own request.
W
Wickie
25 Mar 2018 20:02
Our two boreholes are 5 meters (16 feet) apart and approximately 3 meters (10 feet) away from the house wall. The penetration through the foundation slab into the house was planned from the very beginning.
A
Alex85
25 Mar 2018 20:05
Sorry, that was not precise. I meant the basement slab in the case of the geothermal system. The brine pipe then enters the building through the basement exterior wall via core drilling. For those building without a basement, two parallel 4-inch (100mm) PVC pipes with 15° bends should be installed in advance to allow for later installation of the pipes.
R
R.Hotzenplotz
25 Mar 2018 20:20
Is this also possible through the multi-utility house entry?
A
Alex85
25 Mar 2018 20:46
I can’t say, since it’s a custom design with a slab foundation and without a multi-utility entry point.

A multi-utility entry point has four inlets for gas, electricity, water, and telecommunications. You’ll need the last three anyway, but the heat pump loop is supplied via two pipes (supply/return). So in my opinion, it doesn’t fit. But you should ask your driller.
W
Wickie
25 Mar 2018 20:59
We have a multi-utility entry point. However, there is not enough space for it.
The geothermal fluid pipes are routed through PVC pipes.
M
Mastermind1
25 Mar 2018 21:23
Alex85 schrieb:
I can’t say for sure because I have a custom design with a slab foundation and without a multi-utility house entry point.

A multi-utility entry point has four channels for gas, electricity, water, and telecom. You need the last three anyway, but the geothermal loop is fed through two pipes (supply and return). So in my opinion it doesn’t quite fit. But you should ask your driller.
There is a multi-utility entry point plus connection technology for district heating. It can definitely be used for geothermal as well...

Ultimately, it’s a mounting aid to get everything neatly organized at one place.