goethermal heating
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/08/2006 - 12:28In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[QUOTE=notaio]Is there anyone on the forum who has direct knowledge or experience with geothermal heating for houses ?
Is is a real possibility or it still costs too much ?
does it work ?
I'm renovating an old casale and I liked to do it in a "green" way.
Thanks[/QUOTE]
Notaio,
Geothermal heating is a very real possibility. It works on the basis of a refridgerator. They are called heat pumps, but really it's a big fridge. The efficiency is determined by it's 'co-efficient of performance' eg: an air heat pump is about 3.0, wheras a geothermal heat pump is about 5.0. IE: 5kw of heat for 1kW electrical energy.
There are a few issues in that simple systems use one outdoor unit for one indoor unit. This means if you have multiple rooms, you have to find somewhere outside for multiple units. Multiple zone units are available, but are costly and i would have thought that they are a little impractical.
The major cost element is the groundworks. Think...am i on the bedrock....am i on sand.....have i got adjoining land to make a trench....if not can i put a vertical loop in etc.
Geothermal is great, it works and done properly will perform very well. Operated in reverse, it will also provide cooling in summer. It is a big capital investment, but then again if your living in it, money is not everything.
Andy
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[QUOTE=Tony Procter]Hi there, not too far away from you, we are near Cingoli. We are also looking at geothermal, good website to visit is viessmann.com. the systems are very good, can be a bit costly, but very efficient. Not sure about local support in Marche or what the payback time is. various options, heating from Air, Groundwater or Underground. We are looking to power our underfloor heating system with the heat pump. Good luck.[/QUOTE]
Tony,
Viessmann are one of the market leaders in this field. They are also an exceedingly reputable company and have the advantage of approved installers. As with everything, you get what you pay for. Having seen the agro when heat pumps fail, I would always go for quality over cost any day.
Very good web-site too as you've said. Also in Italian for our beloved Notaio at [url]www.viessmann.it[/url]
Regards
Andy
Your cover is blown
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/08/2006 - 22:12In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
What happened to AndyS
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[QUOTE=GlenB]What happened to AndyS[/QUOTE]
He's behind you!!!!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
O-o-o-o-h no he isn't!.....
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[QUOTE=Marc]O-o-o-o-h no he isn't!.....[/QUOTE]
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o yes he is!!!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[QUOTE=notaio]Is there anyone on the forum who has direct knowledge or experience with geothermal heating for houses ?
Is is a real possibility or it still costs too much ?
does it work ?
I'm renovating an old casale and I liked to do it in a "green" way.
Thanks[/QUOTE]
Geothermal heating using a Heat Pump [url]http://www.reuk.co.uk/Geothermal-Heat-Pump.htm[/url] is fantastic - very efficient, minimal use of expensive Italian electricity, easy to maintain, and is perfect for underfloor heating (not so good for standard radiators).
Initial costs are high so you are unlikely to recoup them if you are renovating a property for resale, however a geothermal heat pump system will more than pay for itself over its life time saving you lots of money in the long run.
If your casale is on soft ground then the ground works can be done very quickly with just a mini-digger. If on the other hand the bedrock is very close to the surface it's going to cost a fortune!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[QUOTE=neilmcn]Geothermal heating using a Heat Pump [url]http://www.reuk.co.uk/Geothermal-Heat-Pump.htm[/url] is fantastic - very efficient, minimal use of expensive Italian electricity, easy to maintain, and is perfect for underfloor heating (not so good for standard radiators). [/QUOTE]
The only issue with using geothermal for underfloor heating is that you then can't use it for cooling in the summer. By reversing the pump, you also get cooling. I would always prefer to use an indoor (air conditioning) unit designed specifically for this purpose, or at least a system designed for it. If you circulate a cold refridgerant through your floor, it gets cold. This will make you feel cold, even when the rest of the rooms hot.
[QUOTE=neilmcn]Initial costs are high so you are unlikely to recoup them if you are renovating a property for resale, however a geothermal heat pump system will more than pay for itself over its life time saving you lots of money in the long run.
If your casale is on soft ground then the ground works can be done very quickly with just a mini-digger. If on the other hand the bedrock is very close to the surface it's going to cost a fortune![/QUOTE]
Agree completely, major factor is the ground works. That said, if you've got a deep well, stream or pond, these work just as well and can save a lot of money.
Andy
[QUOTE=notaio]Is there anyone on the forum who has direct knowledge or experience with geothermal heating for houses ?
Is is a real possibility or it still costs too much ?
does it work ?
I'm renovating an old casale and I liked to do it in a "green" way.
Thanks[/QUOTE]
Hi there, not too far away from you, we are near Cingoli. We are also looking at geothermal, good website to visit is viessmann.com. the systems are very good, can be a bit costly, but very efficient. Not sure about local support in Marche or what the payback time is. various options, heating from Air, Groundwater or Underground. We are looking to power our underfloor heating system with the heat pump. Good luck.