Ground and air source heat pumps are expected to play a major role in cutting the use of gas for heating. But one major problem with them is that they need a lot of space. For those living in dense housing it’s just not practical. District heat networks are the usual alternative, but the dense urban areas they serve need to be near a large source of waste heat like power stations or other industrial units. David Barns at the University of Leeds looks at Shared Ground Heat Exchanges as another solution. Here, a set of shared boreholes draw heat from the ground, sufficient for a single street. Each house would only need a small heat pump similar in size to a conventional gas boiler. The business model will need service providers to coordinate with the street householders and the local authorities, and get their consent before making the investment in the shared system.
Energy Post 11th May 2022 read more »