What are GSHP and ASHPs and how do they work?

A ground source heat pump (GSHP) uses similar technology to a fridge. Fridges take the heat out of the food and transfer it into the room. A GSHP takes heat from the ground or water source and transfers it into the building. The heat pump circulates glycol and water around a pipe or ground loop, which is either buried or contained within a large water source such as a river or lake. The fluid in the pipes absorbs the heat, which passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump. An air source heat pump (ASHP) works in much the same way, but uses the heat from the air instead of the ground or water. As the climate in Cornwall is fairly mild throughout the year, an ASHP works very well. A GSHP is more efficient than an ASHP because the temperature in the ground or water is normally constant. A GSHP is approximately 400% efficient, providing 4kW of heat for every 1kW used, while an ASHP is approximately 300% efficient.