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.
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.
Lumpi_LE schrieb:
A trench collector loop is an affordable alternative.Hi Lumpi, thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, none of the heating installers we contacted have experience with trench collector loops, and our plot isn’t very large. We can hardly contribute any own labor – not very skilled and hardly any time due to work. Or are there already specialized companies for trench collector loops here?@RoyalTS It really depends on what exactly is being done and which materials are used for the price (for example, the thermal conductivity of the filling). If high-quality materials and a sufficiently deep borehole are involved, I would say the price is not too expensive, especially when comparing it to my costs (further north) from a few years ago.
I’m not sure what “heat pump including installation” covers, but I would say the price seems rather high here (the pump with storage tank costs half that, so the question is what exactly “installation” includes and what other services are part of it…).
I’m not sure what “heat pump including installation” covers, but I would say the price seems rather high here (the pump with storage tank costs half that, so the question is what exactly “installation” includes and what other services are part of it…).
Thank you, Saruss, for your initial assessment. Here are some additional details:
Ground Probe:
- Factory-welded double U-shaped probe(s) made of polyethylene PE-RC
- Grouting of the annular space with marked backfill material resistant to frost and thaw cycles, applied from the bottom of the probe upwards
- Automatic monitoring of the sealing process in the borehole with documentation
- 10-year performance guarantee, fully insured drilling, all services from a single provider, including documentation, expert appraisal, and all ground and connection works (including core drilling in the basement)
Heat Pump:
Weishaupt WWP S 6 IDT-2, heating capacity 6.1 kW, coefficient of performance 4.8, with an integrated 170 l (45 gallons) domestic hot water storage tank. The offer also includes: reference room controller, makeup unit, expansion vessels, valves/connection materials, and labor for installation and commissioning.
Ground Probe:
- Factory-welded double U-shaped probe(s) made of polyethylene PE-RC
- Grouting of the annular space with marked backfill material resistant to frost and thaw cycles, applied from the bottom of the probe upwards
- Automatic monitoring of the sealing process in the borehole with documentation
- 10-year performance guarantee, fully insured drilling, all services from a single provider, including documentation, expert appraisal, and all ground and connection works (including core drilling in the basement)
Heat Pump:
Weishaupt WWP S 6 IDT-2, heating capacity 6.1 kW, coefficient of performance 4.8, with an integrated 170 l (45 gallons) domestic hot water storage tank. The offer also includes: reference room controller, makeup unit, expansion vessels, valves/connection materials, and labor for installation and commissioning.
The price of a borehole mainly depends on the drilling depth and the type of ground. These details are missing.
The scope of services shown is also neither complete nor outstanding. Apparently, no improved grouting material is used; otherwise, this would be specified. In an “all-in” offer, I would also expect the disposal of drilling mud, including the container and fresh water consumption, as well as the entire administrative process, including the application for subsidies or grants.
The insurance, on the other hand, is nothing special and only requires a signature.
The scope of services shown is also neither complete nor outstanding. Apparently, no improved grouting material is used; otherwise, this would be specified. In an “all-in” offer, I would also expect the disposal of drilling mud, including the container and fresh water consumption, as well as the entire administrative process, including the application for subsidies or grants.
The insurance, on the other hand, is nothing special and only requires a signature.
From my own experience, I know that Nibe now collaborates with heating installers regarding the horizontal ground heat exchanger (trench collector).
For a friend of mine, they handled the entire calculation and also supervised the installation. With an excavator and operator hired by the hour, the installation was completed in one Saturday. For a small plot, it might take two days.
Otherwise, the only option is to request competing quotes. I’m not very familiar with heat pumps. However, the issue arises if the output is too high and the unit cannot modulate. Your heat load is 4.8 kW, but only at your standard outside temperature. Otherwise, it will be significantly lower.
If the heat pump cannot modulate, it will constantly cycle on and off, which affects both performance and durability.
For a friend of mine, they handled the entire calculation and also supervised the installation. With an excavator and operator hired by the hour, the installation was completed in one Saturday. For a small plot, it might take two days.
Otherwise, the only option is to request competing quotes. I’m not very familiar with heat pumps. However, the issue arises if the output is too high and the unit cannot modulate. Your heat load is 4.8 kW, but only at your standard outside temperature. Otherwise, it will be significantly lower.
If the heat pump cannot modulate, it will constantly cycle on and off, which affects both performance and durability.
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