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.
Yes, that’s fine. With your 5000 euros, it wasn’t clear what was included (you emphasized drilling meters!) and what wasn’t. Probably factors like travel distance, availability of the contractor, and other variables also affected the costs, just like with other tradespeople.
(By the way: when I say “flushed,” I don’t mean “not drilled properly,” but the method used to remove the swarf (the drilling debris). The usual method is to “flush” it out, meaning washing out the dirt with water. In my case, after 30 drilling meters, the company paused to get the compressor truck, but they still kept the “all-inclusive” price without extra charges.)
(By the way: when I say “flushed,” I don’t mean “not drilled properly,” but the method used to remove the swarf (the drilling debris). The usual method is to “flush” it out, meaning washing out the dirt with water. In my case, after 30 drilling meters, the company paused to get the compressor truck, but they still kept the “all-inclusive” price without extra charges.)
The location is definitely important.
Otherwise, I also asked the heating specialist about the drilling. It will cost a few thousand more. But since we are handling the contracts individually anyway, I can choose the service provider and get comparative offers.
There are plenty of drilling companies if you look around. That really isn’t the problem, at least not here. I found four within a 50m (about 30 miles) radius just by searching on Google.
Otherwise, I also asked the heating specialist about the drilling. It will cost a few thousand more. But since we are handling the contracts individually anyway, I can choose the service provider and get comparative offers.
There are plenty of drilling companies if you look around. That really isn’t the problem, at least not here. I found four within a 50m (about 30 miles) radius just by searching on Google.
T
toxicmolotof20 Mar 2018 07:09If you have an architect, can't they just pull one out of their contacts? For us, the drilling company came through their network. All other inquiries were similar or significantly more expensive. So why change something familiar? We knew them, and the process went smoothly.
Our heating specialist purchases the drilling independently. Since the heating specialist, the architect, and the driller all know each other, this basically works with little to no extra cost (or only a small one).
At the end of the day, I only have one point of contact...
Best regards,
Markus
PS: Keep in mind that the funding for drilling in NRW should start again in the next few days. I’m waiting too. If you drill with certified companies, you get €10 per meter of drilling!
At the end of the day, I only have one point of contact...
Best regards,
Markus
PS: Keep in mind that the funding for drilling in NRW should start again in the next few days. I’m waiting too. If you drill with certified companies, you get €10 per meter of drilling!
M
Mastermind120 Mar 2018 07:34I cannot imagine a drilling job for €5,000.
We had two quotes ranging between €10,000 and €12,000 (for 12kW extraction capacity) – but that was back in 2009.
Everything was included: the application/request at the water management authority, drilling samples, disposal of drilling slurry, pressure testing, backfilling...
The more affordable provider was from Austria. If I remember correctly, this is the company that drilled at one of the well-known locations (Staufen?).
For the trench collector, there is now a proven calculator available in this forum that also estimates the required materials. There are even specialists you can contact who supply all the materials from a single source. After deducting the BAFA subsidy (€4,000), the cost for developing the source amounts to zero with good planning. In that case, I wouldn’t choose an air source heat pump...
If, for whatever reason, only an air source heat pump is possible, then definitely go for a Panasonic Geisha (Aquarea …). In practice, this unit achieves a seasonal performance factor (SPF) of 4 or more.
We had two quotes ranging between €10,000 and €12,000 (for 12kW extraction capacity) – but that was back in 2009.
Everything was included: the application/request at the water management authority, drilling samples, disposal of drilling slurry, pressure testing, backfilling...
The more affordable provider was from Austria. If I remember correctly, this is the company that drilled at one of the well-known locations (Staufen?).
For the trench collector, there is now a proven calculator available in this forum that also estimates the required materials. There are even specialists you can contact who supply all the materials from a single source. After deducting the BAFA subsidy (€4,000), the cost for developing the source amounts to zero with good planning. In that case, I wouldn’t choose an air source heat pump...
If, for whatever reason, only an air source heat pump is possible, then definitely go for a Panasonic Geisha (Aquarea …). In practice, this unit achieves a seasonal performance factor (SPF) of 4 or more.
I didn’t want an air source heat pump because we are building in an infill plot. No gas connection is available in the street.
That leaves oil, gas tank, pellets, air source heat pump, and ground source heat pump.
I wanted something that runs simply and continuously heats without my involvement. I don’t want to worry about replenishing pellets, gas, or oil.
So it came down to air source heat pump or ground source heat pump.
Since we are building right in the middle of an old village community, I felt it was too risky to go with an air source heat pump. I’m sure we would have saved a few hundred euros, but I didn’t want to risk starting off on the wrong foot by choosing the wrong company and ending up with a system that isn’t actually “whisper quiet.”
For me, it was all about minimizing costs with the ground source heat pump. That means a €4500 grant for the heat pump and hopefully €10 per meter (3 feet) for the drilling.
Best regards
-Markus-
That leaves oil, gas tank, pellets, air source heat pump, and ground source heat pump.
I wanted something that runs simply and continuously heats without my involvement. I don’t want to worry about replenishing pellets, gas, or oil.
So it came down to air source heat pump or ground source heat pump.
Since we are building right in the middle of an old village community, I felt it was too risky to go with an air source heat pump. I’m sure we would have saved a few hundred euros, but I didn’t want to risk starting off on the wrong foot by choosing the wrong company and ending up with a system that isn’t actually “whisper quiet.”
For me, it was all about minimizing costs with the ground source heat pump. That means a €4500 grant for the heat pump and hopefully €10 per meter (3 feet) for the drilling.
Best regards
-Markus-
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