Heat from the ground

Banks, D. and Birks, D. C. (2020) Heat from the ground. Geoscientist, 30(2), pp. 12-17. (doi: 10.1144/geosci2020-070)

Abstract

Ground Source Heat (GSH) exchange has been heralded as part of the solution to reducing UK carbon emissions. David Banks and David Birks urge tempering optimism with a degree of caution. Amidst the growing international consensus of an imminent carbon emergency, there is a pressing need for all nations to reduce their carbon emissions quickly and significantly. In the UK, heating accounts for nearly half of all energy usage (DECC, 2011) and has thus become a national priority for carbon reduction, but easy strategies for achieving this have proved elusive (BEIS, 2018). Electrically-powered heat pumps “hoovering up” low temperature heat (e.g. in the range 0 – 15°C) from the ground beneath our feet, or from air, sea or rivers, are arguably the most promising technology, and two decades of GSH implementation across the UK have seen some remarkable successes and rapid accumulation of experience. Nevertheless, there remain significant flaws in the procurement, implementation and especially the management, monitoring and aftercare of such systems.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Banks, Mr David and Birks, David Christopher
• Authors: Banks, D., and Birks, D. C.
• Subjects: Q Science > QE Geology; T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General); T Technology > TC Hydraulic engineering. Ocean engineering; T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering; College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• Journal Name: Geoscientist
• Publisher: Geological Society
• ISSN: 0961-5628
• ISSN (Online): 2045-1784
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Geoscientist 30(2):12-17
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher