Heat pumps and solar PVT work in harmony

UK: A South Yorkshire primary school has cut its carbon emissions by nearly 80% by installing a ground-source heat pump and carrying out other energy efficiency measures.

Working with UK manufacturer Kensa, Marshland Primary Academy in Moorends, near Doncaster, overhauled its old heating and hot water system, replacing the ageing gas boilers with seven new ground-source heat pumps and new radiators. In addition, the school became one of the first such institutions in the UK to utilise solar PVT panels. 

The ground-source heat pumps are hidden inside two converted plant rooms. The system relies on 18 boreholes drilled beneath the school’s playing field, each to a depth of around 127m.

The six-month project, partially funded by the government’s Condition Improvement Fund, included 69 solar PVT panels. This technology generates both electricity and thermal energy, supercharging the heat pump’s efficiency and lowering installation and energy costs.

Extracting the excess thermal heat from the panels increases the amount of electricity they can produce compared to ordinary solar PV panels. It’s projected they will generate 34 kW of electricity — the output of 10 typical homes with solar panels.

This excess thermal energy in the heat pump system also significantly reduces the number of boreholes needed, lowering the overall installation costs.

Penny Marshall, acting principal at Marshland Primary Academy, said: “It has been an exciting journey watching and learning about the innovative ground source heating. Although the children had to sacrifice their field for the summer, they enjoyed watching the holes being bored and learning from Kensa staff how the system worked.”