Geothermal Boreholes for Ground Source Heating - Well Drilling Uk Ltd
THE specialists in Geothermal and Ground Source Heating Borehole Drilling Solutions
From initial Site Investigation to a warm house!

Well Drilling UK Ltd offers Geothermal drilling for Ground source Heating, we can drill boreholes for either open loop systems or closed loop systems.

Geothermal heating and cooling systems are becoming very popular as they are both energy efficient and eco-friendly. Although Geothermal heat has been used by man for thousands of years, it is only in the last few decades that geothermal has become practical for commercial and residential heating and cooling purposes.

Geothermal heating can in some instances be run from the same borehole as your water supply, whether that would be an existing borehole water supply (in which case you are half way there already!) or a new borehole for water. The water supply borehole can be used to harvest the underground heat source, making a geothermal ground source heating supply for your home or business even more viable. With the constant rises in the cost of Oil and LPG, the economics are now firmly on the side of ground source heat (GSH) systems and making use of this renewable energy source brings the benefits of low cost heating and hot water and also reduces your carbon footprint making it a very popular and sensible thing to invest in! Even more so with the government offering to pay you for the next 20 years or so for doing so! The Department of Energy & Climate Change announced in March 2011 that it will pay incentives to encourage the use of renewable energy. This means there will be a subsidy of up to £1,450 a year, guaranteed and tax free, index linked, for 23 years. The incentive is available to domestic users. This incentive makes the payback on investment in a ground source heating system even more attractive. (Correct at time of writing, please check with the Department of Energy & Climate Change before making any decisions)

The open loop geothermal system is one of the most efficient ways to provide ground source heating. The water is taken from either an existing borehole or a new water supply borehole and returned back to the ground via another borehole. Water is passed through a heat exchanger, and is returned to the ground. The water is not affected or contaminated in anyway; it is just a bit colder! The flow of water needed to feed the heat pump is similar to running a tap and should not affect the water borehole's ability to supply water as well.

In a closed loop system, the refrigerant is only heated or cooled a few degrees as it runs through the ground, lower temperature differentials and variations in soil temperature result in an inherently less efficient system. Typically a closed loop system takes 1-3 boreholes per dwelling to provide the geothermal energy required. The depths of boreholes are dependent on the geology of the locality. The boreholes are typically several meters apart but this distance also varies depending on the geological conditions of the site.

Your house will need to be suitable for a ground source heating system, but if your house is well insulated and is usually warm with your existing heating on then it should be suitable. If you already have a water supply borehole this would need to be checked to make sure that it is capable of providing enough water for both your heating and water supply needs.

Well Drilling UK Ltd would be happy to quote for your geothermal borehole drilling requirements and are willing to work with your heating supplier if required. Please feel free to contact us.