08/08/2026
Just a random post. About 5 years ago we installed a ground source heat pump replacing the old dirty oil boiler. It’s an amazing piece of kit made in Cornwall by Kensa heat pumps. It heats the house, the annex and does all the hot water. Coupled now with solar panels and battery storage we had installed about 3 years ago gives me a lovely 0 energy bill!
(So yes, your organ music and anything else I make is done by using solar energy 👍)
I was very intrigued by this recent drought that I can now see where the heat pump ground loops are. For some reason the grass is thriving where everywhere else is a burnt crunchy brown!
It must be because the refrigerant liquid that goes through the loops which the heat pump uses to heat our water etc goes back at sub zero temperatures, so as the ground absorbs that coolness must make it ideal for things to grow! Win win situation; I wonder if crops would grow better on top as well ?
The loops are about 2m down, the heat pump works efficiently any time of year , summer and winter , seems to make no difference we still get about a 350% efficiency. ie for 1 unit of electricity we get 3.5 units of heat from the heat pump.
We put 40 solar panels on my workshop and the Solar has been fantastic, it runs everything no problem and by exporting my excess during the summer that pays for the little bit of electricity we use from the grid during winter, hence zero bills.
We use about 10,000 kWh per year !!
