Sep 20, 2022
Are Shared Ground Loops (SGLs) the answer to creating greener streets
A shared ground loop is a district heating network where two or more properties have an individual heat pump connected to a communal ground loop. It is an innovative way of providing more cost-effective ground source heating. Expensive infrastructure is provided centrally, with homeowners only needing individual heat pumps in their homes to connect to the system.
Several projects have already benefited from the technology, with it opening up a cost-effective way to decarbonise areas street by street.
In Enfield, north London, England’s most extensive ground source heat pump system is being used to heat 400 flats over eight tower blocks. The heating network is broken down into a series of 16 shared ground loop systems that have been retrofitted to provide a district ground source heat network that can reduce residents’ energy bills by 30-50%.
How do SGLs work?
A series of boreholes are installed close to either a group of houses or near one large building, such as a tower block, with multiple dwellings to form a communal ground loop.
Just like a standard ground source heat pump system, the ground loop runs on a continuous cycle through the ground absorbing thermal energy. This thermal energy is then delivered to individual heat pumps at each property, which is connected to the communal network. Each heat pump then raises the temperature of the water to a suitable level for the property’s central heating system.
What are the benefits?
The system’s flexibility means that SGLs effectively combine expensive infrastructure to make it cheaper for residents to install. This removes the need for each building to have enough land to accommodate the boreholes needed to heat the system.
Just as the gas mains in the street are paid for and maintained by gas companies the costly infrastructure needed for SGLs are supported by investors, with the end user only needing to source the individual heat pump for their property.
This means a central ground collector area can be identified, which then feeds into multiple locations, whether that is numerous houses on one street or several residents in a multiple occupancy property. It removes the need for costly installations and makes the higher efficient ground source systems accessible to private homes.
Using ground source energy also means that residents benefit from the ability for heating and cooling systems. With recent heatwaves in the UK, cooling systems are becoming more in demand, and shared ground source heat pumps make cooling more accessible and efficient to the end user.
With systems reducing ongoing running costs by up to 30-50%, they are a cost-effective solution for providing renewable energy and something that, for many, wouldn’t be possible without the shared infrastructure that SGLs bring.
Why aren’t more buildings using them?
There are many benefits to using SGLs, but more needs to be done to raise awareness of the benefits and incentivise schemes for developers.
At the minute, not enough information is being shared about the technology. To highlight the benefits, the ground source industry must raise awareness of not only how these systems work but also how they break down boundaries for heat pump installation. Shared loops offer the opportunity to create greener solutions for whole areas rather than just single households by using higher efficiency ground source heat pumps.
However, this also means that the onus is on developers and community groups to identify areas where multiple properties will utilise the technology. This is not something that can be solely driven by individual consumers. There needs to be a shared demand for their use.
If we are to see SGLs used more widely, then shared ground loops need to be explored and understood. Space needs to be identified to accommodate the infrastructure required to make the renewable technology accessible. Residents must know the benefits and grants available to replace their gas boilers. Only then will we be able to create greener streets, towns and cities rather than pockets of activity from individual projects.
A shared ground loop is a district heating network where two or more properties have an individual heat pump connected to a communal ground loop. It is an innovative way of providing more cost-effective ground source heating. Expensive infrastructure is provided centrally, with homeowners only needing individual heat pumps in their homes to connect to the system.
Several projects have already benefited from the technology, with it opening up a cost-effective way to decarbonise areas street by street.
In Enfield, north London, England’s most extensive ground source heat pump system is being used to heat 400 flats over eight tower blocks. The heating network is broken down into a series of 16 shared ground loop systems that have
been retrofitted to provide a district ground source heat network that can reduce residents’ energy bills by 30-50%.
If you are considering a shared ground loop in your development, here are a few things to consider:
- A ground source heat pump can work in any home. With a communal ground source loop, systems aren’t dictated by the space next to a particular property. It means that communal systems can bring renewable energy to whole streets and areas with the infrastructure managed centrally.
- Ground source heat pumps offer the benefits of reducing ongoing running costs by around 30-50%. They are a cost-effective way of decarbonising multiple households to reduce residents’ bills as well as carbon emissions, improve air quality and provide renewable energy.
- The heat pump that connects residents to the communal loop is located indoors and can provide heating, hot water, and cooling to the property.
- SGLs only work for groups of properties or multiple occupancy buildings. It relies on a shared community of users benefiting from the technology and isn’t something that a single household can instigate alone.
- The use of ground source heat pumps makes cooling and heating possible, so it can efficiently support the rising need for cooling systems in the UK due to recent warmer weather.