ASHP vs GSHP

waqasahmed

I haven't got money for either at this point, and realistically there are better energy upgrades I can do before getting any kind of heat pump

Let's say you've got money for both. Which would you go for? I don't have the land to have a horizontal loop, but I can have a verticle loop which obviously adds to the cost

It does seem to be 

ASHP = average COP is less on colder days when you need it the most, but costs a lot less

GSHP = Steady COP regardless of the day but costs a lot more

The heat geek guys installed an ASHP and it's interesting to see their COP too

https://emoncms.org/heatgeek

shinytop

waqasahmed said:

I haven't got money for either at this point, and realistically there are better energy upgrades I can do before getting any kind of heat pump

Let's say you've got money for both. Which would you go for? I don't have the land to have a horizontal loop, but I can have a verticle loop which obviously adds to the cost

It does seem to be 

ASHP = average COP is less on colder days when you need it the most, but costs a lot less

GSHP = Steady COP regardless of the day but costs a lot more

The heat geek guys installed an ASHP and it's interesting to see their COP too

https://emoncms.org/heatgeek

Broadly right.  A couple of additions; ASHPs are more efficient when it's warmer (e.g spring and autumn) - but this matters less because you won't be using a lot of heating. It might matter if you use a lot of HW

GSPHs tend to lose a bit of efficiency in the winter because sustained use cools the ground around the loops.  But this can be minimised through good design. 

But overall GSHPs should be more efficient that ASHPs but are more expensive.  

waqasahmed

shinytop said:

waqasahmed said:

I haven't got money for either at this point, and realistically there are better energy upgrades I can do before getting any kind of heat pump

Let's say you've got money for both. Which would you go for? I don't have the land to have a horizontal loop, but I can have a verticle loop which obviously adds to the cost

It does seem to be 

ASHP = average COP is less on colder days when you need it the most, but costs a lot less

GSHP = Steady COP regardless of the day but costs a lot more

The heat geek guys installed an ASHP and it's interesting to see their COP too

https://emoncms.org/heatgeek

Broadly right.  A couple of additions; ASHPs are more efficient when it's warmer (e.g spring and autumn) - but this matters less because you won't be using a lot of heating. It might matter if you use a lot of HW

GSPHs tend to lose a bit of efficiency in the winter because sustained use cools the ground around the loops.  But this can be minimised through good design. 

But overall GSHPs should be more efficient that ASHPs but are more expensive.  

That's what I thought too tbf. Like I don't truly care that they're more efficient when they're warmer, because realistically, I want to be cold when it's super hot

Screwdriva

I'm not sure why GS based air-conditioning (heating and cooling) hasn't caught on here like it has in the US, but the consistency of efficiency is the main selling point over an ASHP (I've heard of SCOP increases of 1 in the winter months) . The key is sufficiently irradiated land (3 times the area you want to heat is the general guidance) otherwise you'll need to bore deeper into the ground, which is when the cost skyrockets. 

waqasahmed

Screwdriva said:

I'm not sure why GS based air-conditioning (heating and cooling) hasn't caught on here like it has in the US, but the consistency of efficiency is the main selling point over an ASHP (I've heard of SCOP increases of 1 in the winter months) . The key is sufficiently irradiated land (3 times the area you want to heat is the general guidance) otherwise you'll need to bore deeper into the ground, which is when the cost skyrockets. 

I think it's what people are realising with having HPs? Ie: that they can do multi split

Americans often have way more land too, other than their large cities. Horizontal loops are so much easier for Americans 

Also it does seem you can get away with bad design a tad more when it comes to GSHPs too, given the SCOP is quite consistent 

Reed_Richards

Screwdriva said:

I'm not sure why GS based air-conditioning (heating and cooling) hasn't caught on here like it has in the US, 

Another reason may be that many rural properties don't have mains water so there are vastly more drilling companies because of the need to drill water wells.  The competition between drilling companies brings the price down.