Ground-source cooling

Overview

A ground-source cooling system relies on the relatively constant temperature of ground water throughout the year. Heat extracted from a building (such as a warehouse) is passed from a refrigerant to the ground water in a heat exchanger. The water is then returned to the ground. Two wells are required for this, one acting as a source of cold water, the other acting as a sink for the warmer water returning from the building. (It is important to ensure that permissions are in place for extracting and returning ground water!)

Energy savings over conventional cooling systems, which reject heat to ambient air, are mostly achieved during the summer months, when the temperature of the ground is typically much lower than that of the air.

Related Case Studies

• Phase 3 of cold store