GSHP at the Department of Visual Arts Building, in the Campus III of the University of Oradea

Abstract

Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) are systems comprising:
a) ground heat exchanger (pipes buried horizontally in trenches or vertically in boreholes, through which water is circulated as a heat carrier),
b) water source heat pump,
c) low temperature heating (and cooling) system (fan-coils, slim pipes under the floor or on the walls, etc.).
As they exploit the favorable heat transfer properties of water and the mild ground temperature, which remains almost constant throughout the year, independently of external weather conditions, ground source heat pumps provide efficient heating, cooling and domestic hot water supply to the buildings. In cooling mode, they use 30% less electricity than air source heat pumps of latest technology. In heating mode, currently available technology provides a seasonal performance factor (SPF) up to 4, which means that out of 4 units of thermal energy delivered, 3 units are free geothermal energy and only 1 unit is electric energy consumed by the heat pump, resulting in a 75% energy savings.