Recent large scale ground-source heat pump installations in Ireland

Abstract

This paper examines the effectiveness and suitability of Ground Source Heat Pump technology for the Irish climate. The success of the installations to date is evaluated in the areas of operation of overall system, environmental benefits and financial benefits accrued. Geothermal resources in Ireland are mainly low temperature. As a result of this,
geothermal energy is used for heating and cooling of buildings as there is insufficient resources for electricity generation. Ground Source Heat Pumps are mainly used for heating, as there is little need for summer cooling. While there are over 500 domestic installations in the country it is only recently that large-scale projects have been introduced. Buildings in both urban and rural settings are looked at. Building types range
from swimming pools to office buildings. The performance of ground source heat pumps in large-scale applications has been excellent. There are significant reductions in CO2 emissions. Payback periods are 4-6 years despite installation costs being high. More installers and a reduction in heat pump costs could reduce installation costs.