Ground Source Heat Pump Heats and Cools Home
The owners of a new-build family home in Hertfordshire wanted a single renewable system that could -
Better Planet designed, supplied, installed and commissioned a high-capacity ground source heat pump system that meets every element of the brief.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Heat pump | 3 × NIBE F1345-40 brine-to-water units (total 120 kW) operating in master-slave configuration |
| Ground collectors | 30 horizontal loops, each 200 m, giving 6 km of 40 mm PE pipe buried 1.2 m deep in adjacent fields |
| Thermal storage and distribution | 2 × 500 L unvented cylinders for DHW, 1 × 750 L buffer for space heating, 1 × 750 L buffer for pool heating, 1 × 1000 L cooling buffer |
| Underfloor Heating | Low-temperature underfloor heating across living areas; fan-coil units (4-pipe) connected to the cooling buffer for active summer cooling |
| Swimming pool | Plate heat-exchanger and dedicated circulation pumps linked to the pool buffer to keep water at set temperature year-round |
| Controls and compliance | Full MCS design (room-by-room heat-loss, ground-loop sizing) and commissioning to MIS 3005 with NICEIC electrical compliance certification |
Design Performance
- Estimated annual heat demand (space, pool & DHW): ~162 MWh with an SPF of approximately 3.8, providing the potential for lower running costs compared with some oil or direct electric heating systems, depending on energy tariffs and usage patterns.
- Seasonal space-heating energy-efficiency class A+++ for the package
- Heating flow temperature: 45 °C for optimum COP and UFH compatibility
Product Success
- Whole house comfort – Underfloor circuits supply gentle, even warmth; fan-coil active cooling maintains summer comfort without high electrical loads.
- Carbon and cost savings – Replacing fossil-fuel options with a high-efficiency GSHP cuts annual CO₂ emissions by an estimated 60-70 % and shields the household from volatile fuel prices.
- Pool perfection – The dedicated pool buffer keeps swimming temperatures stable year-round while recycling “waste” heat back to the ground loops during summer operation.
- Future-proof resilience – With MCS certification, premium NIBE warranty and built-in monitoring, the system is ready for smart-grid incentives, annual servicing, and decades of efficient operation.
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