Renewable heating system concept design

5-Star Resort Hotel and Spa

The Project

To provide concept, borehole designs and regulatory approval for a borehole water supply and 1MW of heating via a GSHP system

Where?

Yorkshire, for a new build, 5-Star resort hotel and spa

Challenges?

A few! Including, drilling in high-pressure (85psi) artesian aquifer

Solution

• One borehole drilled for water supply for entire Hotel/Spa
• Two boreholes for groundwater abstraction and injection, drilled 400m apart, providing groundwater for 1MW open-loop GSHP.

Large producer/exporter of lamb products, Shropshire

The Project

To develop a concept, borehole design and regulatory approval for a borehole water supply to provide the full requirement of the facility.

Further feasibility assessment for 300kW GSHP system.

Requirement

To develop a borehole water supply for a facility located adjacent to a river upon ‘Terrace gravel’ deposits.

Second project phase to consider using groundwater for a GSHP system to provide site-wide hot process water.

Solution

• One borehole drilled for water supply of up to 200m³/day
• Further boreholes being considered to provide groundwater for 300kW open-loop GSHP system for hot water production.

GSHP systems; poultry, greenhouses & agricultural producers

Typical Projects

To provide renewable (GSHP) heating to very large areas of soft fruit polytunnel and poultry facilities.

Requirement

GSHP systems preferred to biomass due to preferential RHI tariff, zero on-site combustion & emissions and potential for passive cooling.

Soil thermal conductivity survey of land area to be used for ground-array

Using results of survey and system heating/cooling data, model heat exchange pipe length, layout and pressure/flow characteristics

Heat pump selection and performance specification

Solution

• Detailed soil survey followed by ‘GLHEPRO’ modelling of pipe array and system pressure/pumping characteristics
• Heat pump selection based on heat/cool duties
• Review of borehole and open-loop options

County Council building, Nottingham

The Project

To review existing heating/cooling systems & options for upgrade.

Review viability of water-source-heat-pump (WSHP) to replace or augment 1MW gas boilers

Assess technical and financial feasibility, options and paybacks

Challenges?

• Aging heat distribution system & ability to interface with Low or High temperature heat pumps
• Closed or open loop river heat exchange selection and design?
• River water peak high and low temperatures
• Environment Agency Regulation

Solution

• Open loop abstraction/discharge with low temperature heat pump system and planned significant refurbishment of heat distribution system
• EA licence, discharge permit & work in flood-plain consents in progress

Large new-build school, Cheshire

The Project

To provide concept, borehole designs and regulatory approval for a borehole water supply and 1.4MW of heating via a GSHP system

Requirements?

Cheshire, new-build school: heating, cooling and water supply

Challenges?

Client unfamiliar with GSHP technology. Significant testing and analysis of options required. Environment Agency regard aquifer a ‘closed’ to consumptive abstraction

Solution

• Testing of 2 very large existing unused public water supply boreholes
• Cost/benefit analysis of GSHP system
• EA negotiation over additional aquifer water availability
• Develop designs for a combined water supply/GSHP system

Heat Storage Design, de Montfort University

A survey was performed on their novel inter-seasonal heat storage concept called an Earth Energy Bank (EEB).

The EEB allows heat from PVT solar panels to be stored in the ground via shallow boreholes and withdrawn as required for space heating via a heat pump. This is intended to allow a well-insulated house to be heated and powered entirely from renewable energy as the house also generates electricity from the same solar panels. To understand the heat flow in the EEB, there is a need to monitor soil temperature and thermal conductivity at different depths to establish a baseline profile of the EEB.

Solution

• A full soil thermal conductivity test has been carried out on the proposed site of the Earth Energy Bank.
• The test provided very accurate readings of both temperature and soil thermal conductivity at depths of 0.5m 1.0m 1.5m and 2.0m throughout the body of the intended volume of the EEB.