The objective of a heat pump is to heat a building. For this purpose, heat is extracted from the ground, the air, or the ground water. The heat pump requires electricity, which, for example, can be generated by a solar installation.
The natural environment provides a range of heat sources from which a heat pump can generate heat.
Heat pumps with geothermal probes extract heat from deep ground, i.e. a vertical borehole with minimal space requirements into the earth is necessary.
Brine-water heat pump systems consist of:
Heat source = ground
Transmission medium = brine (typically water with 25% glycol)
Brine pump
Brine loop = The pipes are placed in boreholes up to 400 m deep (vertical) as U- or coaxial pipes, and are then known as geothermal heat probes.
Heat exchanger to heating loop
One or more probes are used depending on the heating requirement.
The pipes are placed in boreholes up to 400 m deep (vertical) as U- or coaxial pipes, and are then known as geothermal heat probes. In Germany, borehole depths of up to 99 meters are allowed without special approval. From 100 m borehole depth, a license under mining law is required.
An air-water heat pump extracts heat from the surrounding air and delivers it to the heating, which is operated with water.
In an air/water heat pump, the heat source system consists of fans which generate the air stream for the vaporizer of the heat pump as well as a defrosting device.