The Cheap-GSHPs project aims to reduce capital and operating costs of shallow geothermal installation for heating and cooling, as well as improve their safety during installation and operation, with a particular focus on its application to historical buildings, but also to new buildings.
To achieve these goals Cheap-GSHPs is improving drilling and installation machines and is developing new designs of ground source heat exchangers (GSHEs), in combination with a holistic approach for optimum selection, design and implementation of complete systems across different underground and climate conditions.
This is being accomplished by drastically improving the existing, innovative vertical borehole installation technologies and methodology. Additionally, Cheap-GSHPs is also developing a decision support system covering the geological aspects, feasibility and economic evaluations based on different plant set-up options, selection, design, installation, commissioning and operation of low enthalpy geothermal systems. These tools are publicly available to users. Finally, a novel heat pump for high temperatures is being developed within the project.
Cheap-GSHPs will reduce the total cost of low enthalpy geothermal systems by 20% to 30%, hence contributing to the decarbonisation of the building sector.