Ground Heat Pumps 'Beat The Freeze'

As 'deep freeze' weather conditions swept across the British Isles, a 'ground-breaking' way to obtain power has been underlined as a way to heat-up NI's economy.

Geothermal energy and ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) use the thermal energy that is contained naturally in the ground - even under layers of snow - with underground pipes that transfer heat to the inside of a building.

One local company has already been successfully supplying the innovative pumps - with a senior executive noting that much more can be achieved if Stormont politicians agree to boost such 'green' energy.

Transen Sustainable Energy Systems Ltd - based at Leathem Square - East Link Road Belfast - is already achieving business success beyond its home base, but can do much more if NI follows Great Britain with imminent incentives for renewable heat installations (RHI) that are anticipated to kick-in across GB in April 2011.

A decision on the final design of the RHI was taken in October as part of the Westminster Government's Spending Review, with NI Energy Minister Arlene Foster last month publishing the main findings from a study examining the potential for renewable heat in NI.

Minister Foster said that the study has concluded NI has the potential to obtain 10% of its heat energy from renewable sources by 2020: "I believe an RHI model that would support renewable heat installations could work as it has the potential to provide long-term stable support and confidence for the market to invest.

"It is important that a full appraisal is carried out on RHI to ensure that it is viable, economic and could be appropriately funded in the future and my Department will start this work as soon as possible," she said.

It couldn't be soon enough for Bryan Law, Transen's Project Director, who said that much more than a basic 10% is being achieved already: "The Royal Swedish Academy of Science has presented its final report on how to make Sweden fossil fuel free by 2050.

"The Academy highlighted that heat pumps are the key technology, with the Academy's Energy Committee confirming that electrically-driven heat pumps in houses and shopping centres would account for 25% of Sweden's total heat demand in 40 years.

"They also stated that electrical heat pumps would contribute 30TWh by 2050 compared with 10TWh at present - which is more like 90% based on current consumption," said the Project Director.

"In fact, heat pumps in Sweden already provide five times more renewable energy than Sweden's total wind power," Mr Law said, also underlining his company's past successes.

He said that a ground heating systems at the Box End Park at Milton Keynes collected heat that comes from an aquifer 20 metres below ground level.

Another example is where a system for a 400m2 private house has been installed in Lanarkshire. The heat is collected from a series of bore holes," he said.

"The way ahead if for Northern Ireland to adopt the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme, as per the rest of the UK," he continued, noting that he is now anxiously waiting for the outcome of Minister Foster's appraisal and hoping that the outcome will be positive, despite the squeeze on all NI spending.

He also pointed to an important development, which might overcome the need for electricity altogether: "While GSHPs use a renewable heat source, their heat exchangers need a power source," he explained.

He also said that a bespoke heat pump system designed and built by Transen is being installed in a new eco build house in Scotland.

"The power to run the house - approx 1000m2 - will be produced by a Gaia wind turbine built in Denmark," he said, noting that Gaia are represented in Ireland by Silverford Renewables based in Dungannon.

"Both Gaia and Transen see this as a major development in green energy availability especially for the agricultural sector."

See: www.transen.co.uk/

(BMcC/KMcA)