# Ground Heat Pumps, Wind Turbines etc



## BreTT (Oct 30, 2002)

Hi all,

I'm looking at various options at the moment to replace our current heating / power facilities at our house. We live off the beaten track and only have power and water linked up to the house. I am now looking at replacing our AGA and oil fired boiler with other options.

The AGA is lovely but uses 80 litres of oil week, although it does also provide our hot water. The boiler is around 12 years old, and although it is still reasonably efficient (according to the annual test it undergoes) it is noisy and also fills a cupboard that could be better employed for other things. My parents-in-law recently got a new oil fired boiler which is located outside and that is my current favoured route.

What I have been wondering is whether as part of the process of upgrading / replacing these systems we consider installing a ground heat pump to provide some of our hot water. Has anyone done this? If so, how efficient are these systems? We have a around a third of an acre that is about to be ripped up and landscaped, so we'd be quite happy to install the system at this time if it is worth doing.

We are in quite an exposed position here too, so I am considering getting a wind turbine installed as well. There seems to be quite a lot more information on these though, and they have come down in price dramatically in the last year or so.

So although we'd continue to use oil to provide our main heating requirements, I'd get a newer, more efficient boiler to replace the existing one. I think I'm going to replace the AGA with an electric range cooker as well. The wind turbine is relatively straightforward I think, but I am unsure of the ground heat pump.

Anyone explored this in any more depth?

Thanks,
Brett


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## Wondermikie (Apr 14, 2006)

Not looked in any detail but look here for some info http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/sch ... /grant.cfm


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## BreTT (Oct 30, 2002)

Wondermikie said:


> Not looked in any detail but look here for some info http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/sch ... /grant.cfm


Thanks, and especially so for specifically looking out the site that applies to Scotland. Much appreciated.


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## a13xbb (Jan 27, 2007)

vaillent do a solar powered hot water storage thing that is meant to be really good so i hear...


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## John C (Jul 5, 2002)

B, after the last time you told me about the cost of your oil I know why this is important for you!!!

Every time you see Grand Design type programmes they always seem to say about Â£5k to Â£10k for a ground heat system but they can pay themselves off in less than 10 years. I would imagine that would be less in your case given your oil bills.

Â£15k savings here... http://www.ecoheatpumps.co.uk/case-studies.html - check out the Scottish one.

Presume you have seen this fact sheet... http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/con ... tsheet.pdf

JC


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## BreTT (Oct 30, 2002)

John C said:


> B, after the last time you told me about the cost of your oil I know why this is important for you!!!
> 
> Every time you see Grand Design type programmes they always seem to say about Â£5k to Â£10k for a ground heat system but they can pay themselves off in less than 10 years. I would imagine that would be less in your case given your oil bills.
> 
> ...


Thanks John - yeah oil is only going in one direction and it isn't down, and the AGA used 4,500l on it's own which equates to around Â£1,600 a year. I reckon our heat and water costs around Â£250 - Â£300 a month on average, and that doesn't include electricity etc.

I found the fact sheet that you posted as a result of the website that Wondermike posted. Some interesting stuff on there. Depending on the costs and payback period, now could be a good time to take the plunge given that we are about to embark on some fairly radical changes anyway.

Thanks alibTTman - I'll do a search on Valiant as well.


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## Wondermikie (Apr 14, 2006)

BreTT said:


> Wondermikie said:
> 
> 
> > Not looked in any detail but look here for some info http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/sch ... /grant.cfm
> ...


  no probs, despite my location I'm Scottish too and sometimes have thoughts about returning to the motherland, so I was interested in what was available.


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## Antwerpman (Nov 4, 2002)

I think one of the important things to remember with regard to GSHP's is that they dont produce water hot enough to run through a system which is designed for use with a conventional boiler.

The preferred method of deploying a GSHP is to combine it with underfloor heating as the heat produced is a great match for this type of heating which requires lower temps than normal radiators. It is possible to still use a normal radiator system but you would have to change yoru radiators to larger, more efficient units for it to work. The additional cost of these modifications to your heating systems (especially installing UFH) can be substantial.

Solar hot water seems to have a reasonable payback and can be used in conjunction with a normal boiler and heating system

try here

http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/

for lots of knowledgeable people


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## tj (May 7, 2002)

Brett
I've seen a few GHP installations in Germany and they quoted a 2 degree difference in flow down and return, but the installation is invariably part of a far more comprehensive approach to energy use incorporating solar panels, triple glazing, efficient boiler etc. Those I saw allocate a room/part of a basement specifically where all the services are installed. They're way ahead of us.


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## BreTT (Oct 30, 2002)

Antwerpman said:


> Solar hot water seems to have a reasonable payback and can be used in conjunction with a normal boiler and heating system


I live in Scotland.... 

Thanks for the forum link - very useful.


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## BreTT (Oct 30, 2002)

tj said:


> Brett
> I've seen a few GHP installations in Germany and they quoted a 2 degree difference in flow down and return, but the installation is invariably part of a far more comprehensive approach to energy use incorporating solar panels, triple glazing, efficient boiler etc. Those I saw allocate a room/part of a basement specifically where all the services are installed. They're way ahead of us.


Thanks tj - sadly our house was stripped back to it's shell in 1993 and the current "infrastructure" was put in then by the previous owners. The house itself is >100 years old and has external walls that are > 3 feet thick! If we could do it all again, I'd take an overall considered and coherent approach to our heat/water/electricity requirements, but unfortunately my wife isn't too keen on me ripping everything out and starting again.

We do, however, have an opportunity as part of the extension work to consider how we heat/power that and it may be that a ground heat pump will fit the bill through use of underfloor heating etc for that part of the house. Our current boiler would need to be replaced as it is stretched providing heat for the existing house. So I am considering all options at the moment.


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