How It All Works
Ever improving insulation and the air tight construction of buildings means that controlled ventilation is becoming ever more important. The ground-air heat exchanger makes a considerable contribution to this, especially when used in conjunction with a heat recovery unit. As well as increasing the quality of life within the building, this also provides significant energy savings by using the embodied ground energy to pre-condition the incoming ventilation air. So, on the one hand, heating costs can be saved, whilst on the other, the air conditioning system investment costs can also fall, especially in larger buildings.
The ground-air heat exchanger takes advantage of the fact that the temperature of the ground, 1.5 to 2m deep, remains a relative constant temperature between 7°C-12°C throughout the year. The incoming outside air passes through an underground pipe system to pre-heat it in winter and to pre-cool it in summer. Experience shows that a ground-air heat exchanger makes it possible to raise the temperature of air taken in by up to 9°K in winter, and to reduce it by up to 14°K in summer.
 |
 |