30 Apr 2009 06:04:03
UK schools urged to spend on GSHP heating and cooling
The UK government's recent announcement that £7.9 billion will be spent improving schools over the next 12 months should encourage education chiefs to invest in energy efficiency schemes.
According to green appliance manufacturer Geothermal International, the capital expenditure represents a great chance for schools to improve their heating and cooling systems.
It claimed that installing a ground source heat pump (GSHP) could reduce carbon emissions by a half, while also slashing annual building operating costs by as much as 70 percent.
Although less prevalent in the UK than biomass boilers or combined heat and power (CHP) systems, GSHPs can moderate temperatures by extracting natural heat from the ground.
Patrick Sheriff, marketing director of Geothermal International, said: "Local education authorities should seize the opportunity to reduce their carbon emissions by installing this highly effective form of heating and cooling buildings."
He suggested that GSHPs offer better "lifetime carbon savings" than CHPs, as well as boasting lower maintenance and running costs.
While relatively new to the UK, the technology has been widely deployed in other parts of the world such as North America and Europe, according to the GSHP Association.
It claims that a typical pump will capture and distribute between three and four units of heat energy for ever one unit of electrical energy required to power the system.
http://www.gshp.org.uk/documents/GSHPIntroduction_000.pdf
