Ground source heat pumps are installed either using shallow horizontal trenches or a deep vertical boreholes.
The choice of these will be dependent on the space you have available as well as the costs of installation.
Digging trenches for a horizontal system install is more economical than drilling a borehole for a vertical system.
Often only properties in rural areas have space for horizontal systems because of the large amount of outdoor space required.
A typical horizontal system for a mid-sized property will cost around £10,000 – £14,000 to install, with a 12kW system for a large property totalling approximately £15,000-£18,000.
Vertical ground source heat pumps are far more expensive to install.
A typical vertical system will cost upwards of £30,000 for the installation because of the requirement of specialist heavy machinery to create the borehole.
Horizontal and vertical ground source heat pump systems both provide a long term return on investment despite the initial high costs and add value to your home in terms of a eco-friendly method of heating.
The key determining factor will be the space you have available, for example a horizontal ground source heat pump system would need a minimum of 700 square metres for the multiple ground loops.
On the other hand, the minimum vertical system needs two separate boreholes at a 25cm width, and spaced six metres from each other.
