You have probably heard about geothermal heating more than once. Such systems are installed in many European countries and they are very successful and popular among the population. Is it possible to establish it with us? To understand this, you need to understand how it works, and also consider all the advantages of such a system.

Benefits of geothermal heating

The cost of geothermal heating at home

Probably, this is the only moment due to which the system has not yet come into widespread use. Initial costs can reach one million rubles. It all depends on the size of your home and the source of heat. So, laying the heating circuit in water bodies is cheaper at the same cost for pumping station and related materials (pipes, sealants, etc.).

Such an installation is most beneficial for small houses... The costs are recouped in two to three years, since no need to pay for gas / coal / firewood, and all costs are reduced to payment for a small amount of electricity that is spent on work pumping equipment... Is it worth saving by performing such an installation not on a turnkey basis, but on your own? Perhaps, provided that you carefully study all the features of the process. In practice, there are cases of successful assembly by the owners themselves.

The cost of turnkey work consists of:

• from calculations of pump power, heating circuit length;
• from the price of work in soil or water (drilling wells, digging trenches, laying under water), as well as related work on laying and installation;
• from the installation and connection of the pumping station.

As an example, we will give approximate calculations for a house of 150 sq. m.

1. Such a dwelling requires a 14 kW heat pump. Its price is 260 thousand rubles.
2. The amount for all work on the arrangement of the vertical earthen contour is approximately 427 thousand rubles. May fluctuate depending on soil types.

Total - 687 thousand rubles. We see that the start-up costs for the installation of geothermal heating are very significant. The price of conventional boilers is much cheaper. For comparison, calculate what your current heating costs are and calculate how much you will spend with geothermal heating. Consider both cases in perspective for many years (10-15 years). The difference is very, very significant.

Basic components of geothermal heating systems

Geothermal heating does not use usual heat sources. We are not talking about any firewood, coal, gas or electricity (in the amount that a conventional electric boiler uses).

The entire system consists of three main elements. They are:

• heating circuit inside the house;
• heating circuit;
• pumping station.

As a heating circuit, which will be located inside the house, both ordinary familiar radiators and a warm floor system can act (it is heated large quantity energy). Moreover, this the system can be connected to heat the greenhouse, pools, paths inside the site, etc.

The heating circuit in this case is geothermal heat sources. So, there is heating with the help of the energy of the earth, water, and also air.

A pumping station is necessary in order to transfer heat from the geothermal heating circuit to the heating circuit.

More about heating method

To heat a room with geothermal heating, energy is used, which is stored in environment... The principle of operation is borrowed from the design of the refrigerator. It is warm from inner chamber is brought out in order to achieve in the chamber itself minimum values temperature. In this case, the rear wall heats up. With geothermal heating, heat from the ground (or water, air) is discharged into the living space. The difference is that the heat source does not cool down, but has a stable temperature. Because of this, the heating of the room can occur at any cold season. And in the heat, you can configure the system to cool the house.

Consider an example with a heating circuit for heating a dwelling inside the earth. This option is the most common, since the location of the geothermal circuit in water sources requires its presence near the house. This is less common.

Warmth from the ground

At a certain depth, the earth has its own temperature. It does not depend on weather conditions and time of the year. We are talking about those layers that are below the freezing level. That is, the heating circuit is laid where the temperature always has a stable positive value.

Methods for the position of pipes of heating circuits in the ground

Vertical stacking

It lies in the fact that on the site drilling deep wells in which the pipes will be laid. Their depth depends on what area needs to be heated. The value reaches up to 300 meters. The calculation is based on the fact that one meter of the geothermal pipeline accounts for 50-60 W of the earth's thermal energy. For a pump with a capacity of 10 kilowatts (it is suitable for a house with an area of ​​up to 120 sq. M), you will need a well with a depth of 170 to 200 m. Several wells can be drilled, but at a shallower depth. The advantage of this method is that with this installation there is the least interference with the landscape of your site, if the house has already been built, and the site is brought into proper form. But at the same time, there are high costs for work.

Horizontal laying

Trenches of a huge area are being dug along the adjacent area. Their depth depends on the level of freezing of the ground in your area(from 3 meters and deeper), and the area of ​​the pit is from the square of the house. Calculate follows from the fact that 1 meter of the pipeline accounts for 20 to 30 watts of energy. If you install the same 10 kW heat pump, the length of the circuit should be from 300 to 500 m. Pipes are laid along the bottom of these trenches and backfilled with earth.

The scheme of the whole structure

In fact, there are three circuits through which the fluid circulates. We designated the first of these as heating. The next circuit is inside the pump. There, the refrigerant takes heat from the heating circuit and transfers it to the third cycle through pipes to the house.

The coolant passes along the circuit underground and heats up to a temperature of 7 ° C (this is the indicator at a depth below the freezing level). All the energy that the coolant took from the ground goes to the heat pump.

The heat pump has the first heat exchanger. In him the heating medium from the earth circuit heats the refrigerant, raising not only its temperature, but also its pressure. In the gas state, the refrigerant flows to the second heat exchanger. Here he heats up the coolant, which circulates through pipes inside the house, and then returns to a liquid state again.

Due to the constant rise in energy prices, people are trying to become energy independent. So, it becomes more relevant to use alternative sources heat. This is a geothermal heating system that uses special pumps. Thanks to her, it becomes possible obtaining heat directly from the ground.

The principle of operation of the heating system

People have always tried to get warmth coming from the bowels of the earth. Thanks to the advent of geothermal heating, this has become possible.

In the center of the earth there is magma that warms the earth... Due to the presence of the top layer of soil, it does not cool down. It was enough to learn how to use such heat in order to discover an alternative source of heat. With its proper use, it will be possible to solve the problem of heat supply to any country houses.

Many people consider how geothermal works heat pump rather complicated. In fact, it is enough to understand the features of heating from the ground. System operation is possible due to the presence of an external circuit acting as a heat exchanger. It is located in water or underground. Inside this element is water or any other liquid that absorbs heat. The heating medium enters the geothermal pump, which accumulates heat. This equipment distributes the received energy along the entire inner circuit.

It should be noted that these heat pumps comply with standard sizes, however, their productivity turns out to be really high.

Varieties of geothermal systems

There are several types of such heating systems. All of them differ only in the heat exchanger. His choice depends on the characteristics of the site and some of the nuances of the area.

Many people find it difficult to make a choice. In order not to be mistaken, it is worth considering the financial capabilities and some features of the land plot. If there is a reservoir next to the house that meets all the above requirements, then it will be possible to organize geothermal heating with your own hands. And permission to use heat pumps and work it will not be required from any authorities. If we talk about using other systems, then a vertical heat exchanger will require significant financial investments, and for a horizontal one - a lot of unoccupied land.

The advantages of this heating method

There are many conflicting opinions about alternative heat sources. Naturally, geothermal heating at home is no exception. However, there are indeed many objective advantages of such a system.

Independent organization of geothermal heating

As mentioned earlier, such a system is the most affordable, which means that every home owner can use the energy resources of the land. At the same time, the organization of geothermal heating does not require significant investments or human resources. Do-it-yourself installation of the system is quite simple. In this case, the main thing is to perform the correct calculations.

Naturally, the installation of equipment and the heat pumps themselves depends on the selected type of heat exchanger.

• The easiest way to perform installation is provided that the house is located near the reservoir. In this case, it is enough to hire several assistants and special equipment to lay the pipe at the bottom. After that, all that remains is to connect the heat pump, after which the house will become warm.
• If you prefer a horizontal heat exchanger, you will have to dig up the site. Subsequently, it will not be possible to organize a garden or vegetable garden here.
• The most difficult is the installation of a vertical heat exchanger.... Such work should be entrusted to specialists with relevant experience and professional drilling equipment.

In addition to pipe-laying, attention must be paid to the installation of the heat pump itself. Such a device must be correctly installed, otherwise the system will be ineffective.

Geothermal heating has only recently come into use. Thanks to him, it is possible to obtain cheap energy with a minimum of costs. So that such Alternative option proved to be effective, it is necessary to take into account all the requirements, and also to install the heat pump correctly.

Many private home owners still believe that geothermal heating is a term almost from the realm of science fiction, and it is relevant only for those regions where hot springs are raging and there is high volcanic activity. And since such natural phenomena are rare, the prospects for using this alternative energy in our conditions they look vague for many. In fact, the geothermal pump successfully generates heat even at low temperatures, so that it can be used quite effectively even in temperate climates. But is it possible to mount geothermal heating at home with your own hands? Let's try to figure it out.

Structural type classification

The principle of operation of geothermal heating is similar to the principle of operation of an air conditioner or refrigerator. The main element is a heat pump connected to two circuits.

The principle of operation of a geothermal (heat) pump

The inner contour is traditional system heating, consisting of pipes and radiators. External - an impressively sized heat exchanger located underground or in the water column. Inside it can circulate as a special liquid with antifreeze, and plain water... The heat carrier takes over the temperature of the medium and the "warmed" one enters the heat pump, the accumulated heat is transferred to the internal circuit. Thus, water is heated in pipes and radiators.

The ground source (heat) pump is a key element of the system. This is a compact unit that takes up no more space than the one we are accustomed to. Washer... If we talk about productivity, then for every 1 kW of consumed electricity, the pump "gives out" up to 4-5 kW of thermal energy. While a conventional air conditioner, which has a similar operating principle, will "answer" 1 kW of heat for 1 kW of consumed electricity.

It must be admitted that the device of this type of heating is the most expensive and time consuming today. The lion's share of its cost is the purchase of equipment and, of course, excavation... Naturally, a thrifty owner thinks about whether it is possible to save money, for example, on installation and make geothermal heating with his own hands? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to figure out which systems are used most often and to understand the features of their device.

Horizontal heat exchanger

Quite often, a horizontal contour is used, in the device of which the pipes are laid in trenches to a depth greater than the level of soil freezing in a given area.

The disadvantage of a geothermal heating system with a horizontal circuit is the large area occupied by the collector

The disadvantage is that the area occupied by the circuit must be much larger than the house itself, for example, to heat a building with an area of ​​250 m², it will take about 600 m² for pipes. Not every developer can afford this luxury.

In addition, inconveniences arise if the site has already been ennobled, for example, the distance from the trees (1.5 m) and many other nuances have to be observed.

Vertical heat exchanger

A more compact, but also more expensive option is a vertical heat exchanger. Its installation does not require a large area, but it will require special drilling equipment.

Installation of a vertical heat exchanger requires the use of special drilling equipment

The depth of the well, depending on the technology, can reach 50-200 m, but its service life is up to 100 years. This method is especially relevant when planning a geothermal with a well-equipped adjacent territory, it allows you to keep the landscape almost intact.

The most economical geothermal plant uses the thermal energy of water. It is recommended if the distance to the nearest body of water does not exceed 100 m.

A water-placed heat exchanger is the most advantageous and therefore more appropriate for the device

A pipe loop in the form of a spiral is laid on the bottom, the depth should be less than 2.5-3 m, that is, deeper than the freezing zone. The area of ​​the reservoir is from 200 m². The main plus is that there is no need to carry out labor-intensive earthworks, but a permit must be obtained. special services... Having spent significant funds on expensive equipment, you should not save on high-quality installation... After all, the quality and efficiency of the entire system will depend on it.

As you can see, it is not so easy to assemble geothermal heating at home with your own hands. Of all the listed types, perhaps only last option it will be enough to simply implement it yourself. But even in this case it is worth weighing up all the pros and cons.

The advantages and disadvantages of the system

For the first time, geothermal heating was closely watched in the United States, during the crisis in the 80s. Quite expensive installations were registered in the homes of the richest and most advanced, but gradually they became more accessible and popular. Europe took note of the novelty and began to actively implement it in its open spaces. Now this type of heating is no longer a curiosity; in Sweden, for example, about 70% of all heat is synthesized using heat pumps.

Manufacturers of wonderful equipment and greens unanimously repeat about the advantages of this type of heating over all others, the main advantages that are emphasized are:

• used for heating thermal energy land that is renewable and inexhaustible;
• there is no risk of fire;
• there is no need for the delivery and storage of fuel materials;
• during the operation of the equipment, no harmful emissions are generated, the system is absolutely safe and environmentally friendly;
• the system works autonomously, does not need constant monitoring and intervention;
• it is economical, practically does not require maintenance costs from the owner;
• with all the variety of models, the productivity ratio of the equipment remains consistently high.

The geothermal heating system performed well in combination with “ warm floors". Such a duo ensures an even temperature distribution and prevents the formation of overheating zones.

Important! This type of heating is most beneficial for houses with an area of ​​up to 150 m², the owners of such small cottages claim that the costs will pay off in just 3-4 years.

Note that these systems have not yet become popular in the post-Soviet space. This is largely due to the fairly significant investment that will need to be made at the very beginning, and quite long term payback. It is rather difficult to convince our fellow citizens that it is, after all, economically profitable anyway. Although, if we take into account the annual rise in price of the usual heat carriers and the fact that the system is designed for an average of 100 years effective work, then the choice will seem quite justified.

There are a number of autonomous engineering systems that are an integral part of any private country house... One of them is a heating system that provides a comfortable indoor air temperature at home for living at any time of the year, in accordance with weather conditions.

Geothermal heating is a promising heating option based on the use of natural resources- the heat of the earth, which is an inexhaustible resource. The heat pump transfers the heat of the ground or surface water to the heat carrier circulating through heating system inside the house.

The company "Gidroinzhstroy" will carry out all the work necessary for the organization of geothermal heating: we will prepare a project, select and bring equipment, carry out earthworks, carry out installation and commissioning. Everything will be done on time and with the highest possible quality. We give a guarantee for the work performed.

Benefits of geothermal heating

Geothermal heating at home: how it works

The home's geothermal heating system has three closed circuits. Circulates through the pipes of the external circuit located in the ground or water saline solution or antifreeze that removes heat. Passing through a heat exchanger (evaporator) in a heat pump installation, it gives off heat to the refrigerant in the internal circuit. The heated refrigerant is discharged by the compressor, which increases the temperature of the refrigerant. Through another heat exchanger (condenser), the refrigerant transfers its energy to the heating circuit of the house.

The outer loop can be a horizontal manifold or a vertical probe.

Horizontal manifold

1. The collector pipes are laid on the horizontal surface of the trench bottom, dug to a depth of 1.5 meters - below the level of soil freezing. A large free area is required for pipe laying, on average about 500 square meters.

2. The collector is laid at the bottom of the reservoir.

Vertical probe

If there is no river, pond, lake nearby, and the area of ​​the site is such that it is not possible to mount a horizontal heat collector, you can drill an artesian well and lower a vertical probe into it - a pair of u-shaped HDPE pipes through which brine will flow and collect soil heat. The number and depth of wells are calculated depending on the heated area of ​​the house and the hydrogeological conditions of the site.

Disadvantages of geothermal heating

Geothermal heating cost

The organization of heating based on a geothermal heat pump will require considerable financial costs. But in this case, the high cost to the disadvantages can only be attributed to a stretch. An efficient, environmentally friendly and economical system is well worth the high initial investment (which will pay off over time). The cost of the system depends on many factors: on the area of ​​the heated premises, the capacity of the tonnage, the installation option of the collector, etc. For example, the cost of a heat pump installation with a capacity of 11 kW (suitable for heating a house with an area of ​​150-170 sq. M.) 000 to 850,000 rubles.

Other heating system options

Today there are many different heating systems, but the most wide application acquired a heating system using a liquid heat carrier. In comparison with other systems, it has the most high efficiency, practicality and safety. The principle of its operation is that a heat generator (boiler) heats water or an anti-freeze liquid (antifreeze), which flows through pipes to heating devices (radiators, convectors), heating them, which in turn heats the air in the room, and returns to its place heating.

By the type of energy carrier, heat generators are divided into 4 groups:

Gas.
The most common and relatively inexpensive option... For gas heating availability required main gas pipeline or installation of gas tanks. Advantages: cost-effectiveness and a high degree of automation.

Liquid fuel.
Heating with liquid diesel fuel is a more expensive method.

Electrical.
It is convenient, but not cheap, to heat the dwelling with an electric boiler.

Solid fuel.
With a boiler running on wood or other solid combustible materials, there is a lot of trouble: you need to regularly load fuel and clean the combustion chamber of ash.

The limited reserves of natural energy resources forces humanity to search for alternative energy sources. Geothermal heating at home - great alternative traditional ways heating. This can be confirmed by evidence of the widespread use of geothermal heating systems in Europe and America as the main sources of heat.

A bit of history! Geothermal heating systems expanded significantly in the late 1980s, predominantly in America. At the beginning, a solid investment in the installation of such a plant allowed it to be used only by wealthy people, and after a few years this fat system was available to less wealthy Americans, raising the importance of geothermal heating systems in the heating technology market.

In Europe, two decades ago, the number of geothermal installations exceeded 12 million, and today one can only guess about the size of the "population" of geothermal installations in private houses.

Why it happens?

Everything is very simple! The most affordable and convenient system gas heating reduces fossil fuel supplies for money out of your pocket. And burning solid fuel(firewood, coal, peat) is not only inconvenient, but also accompanied by the release of harmful carbon dioxide, the fallout of soot and tar. And you also need an additional room for storing fuel.

How the system works

Geothermal heating systems have a principle of operation similar to a refrigerator (air conditioner). It's just that the refrigerator of the refrigerator cools the air, and the ground source heat pump heats the heat carrier of the heating system.

The heat (energy) of the Earth is used to heat the room. A heat pump located in the house draws energy from groundwater or the soil itself, converting it into heat. Then this "heat" is used to heat the coolant of the home heating system itself.

The principle of operation of a heat pump is based on the reverse Carnot cycle, developed back in the 19th century.

The "heart" of such a system is the compressor, which "compresses" and "transfers" heat. For this he needs external source energy - electrical network.

In a company with compressors in the internal circuit of the heat pump, there are: a condenser, an evaporator and a throttle valve.

A heat pump works like this:

• The heat collector is filled with an anti-freeze liquid (glycol mixture, a mixture of water and alcohol, or salty water), which will transport "underground" or "underwater" heat to the pump.
• This heat energy in the evaporator is transferred to the refrigerant with a very low boiling point, which leads to its sharp boiling and evaporation (conversion into vapor).
• A running compressor increases the pressure of this steam, which consequently leads to an increase in its temperature.
• In the condenser, the refrigerant is cooled by transferring heat to the heating circuit of the house and condenses.
• The refrigerant flows back to the compressor through the throttle valve, and the cycle repeats again ...

The heat pump can also be called in other words "turned inside out" refrigerator. Indeed, in the refrigerator, the refrigerant is heated due to the heat placed in it (the refrigerator) of the products, and through a system of pipes it is discharged to the rear wall, heating the air outside the refrigerator.

And in the case of a heat pump, this released heat heats up the heating medium in the heating system of the house itself. As heating appliances in such heating systems, "warm floors" are used most often and efficiently.

Notice! In the presence of a high-quality and correctly calculated "heat-intake" circuit with the consumption of 1 kW of electricity, the heat pump is capable of delivering up to 5 kW of thermal energy to the system!

Types of heat exchangers for geothermal heating systems

Horizontal heat exchanger

Pipes of the horizontal contour are laid to a depth exceeding the thickness of the soil freezing layer.

This version of the heating circuit is optimal when there is a large area. personal plot without garden plantings (trees). Laying the circuit pipe is not allowed at a distance of less than 1.5 m from the crown of the tree.

When heating a house of 250 m 2, an area of ​​600 m 2 will be required to accommodate the heat exchange circuit. And such an area is not always available. Especially in densely populated cottage townships.

This factor can be called a disadvantage of this type of heat exchanger.

Vertical heat exchanger

A vertical heat exchanger is a luxury that not every builder may be able to afford. To "equip" such a heat exchanger, you will need special drilling equipment.

The heat exchanger circuit is lowered into a well 50-200 m deep. To increase the thermal power, several such wells are used, the pipelines of which are connected through special collector units.

The advantage of organizing such a heat exchanger circuit system is the possibility of working in a well-equipped area - this method will not damage the existing landscape.

Heat exchanger placed in water

This option is the most economical in installation - there is no need to carry out excavation work, but it requires a reservoir with an area of ​​at least 200 m 2 at a distance of no more than 100 m from the house. The pipes of the contour are laid at a depth greater than the freezing depth (at least 2-3 m) to the bottom.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Heating Systems

One of the most significant advantages of geothermal heating systems, we want to highlight its environmental safety for your home. After all, the process of normal operation of the heat pump is not accompanied by any harmful emissions into the atmosphere. And the absence of flammable substances in the fuel pump in the presence of good electrical wiring actually negates the threat of fire.

Lack of fuel means the absence of costs for its delivery and storage.

Low electricity consumption with a relatively high heat transfer (from 1 kW of electricity to 5 kW of thermal energy) is another important (or most important) factor that determines the choice of a geothermal heating system for a country house.

The autonomy of a geothermal heating system frees you from the need to monitor and maintain it.

Important functional advantage A geothermal heating system is its ability to work like an air conditioner in hot weather. In this mode, the opposite happens: the heat from the room heats up the refrigerant, which transfers it to the external heat collector.

The disadvantage of such a system is the complexity of its installation and, accordingly, the high cost, as installation works and the equipment itself.

Geothermal heating systems are the most expensive to install and purchase equipment.

In this case, you can save money on self-installation this system, but it is necessary to pay considerable attention to the calculations and consultations with the "pros".

Using a bivalent heating circuit

A bivalent system implies the parallel use of two heat sources at peak loads (at low temperatures environment).

In such a system, an additional boiler, for example, an electric boiler, is connected in parallel to the heat pump. It is used when it is necessary to use an intensive heating mode at low ambient temperatures.

If there are few “frosty” days a year in the region of your residence, then the presence of such a “helper” allows you to save on the power of the heat pump, which significantly affects its cost.