GWC, or ground heat
exchanger, is an installation that allows heating or cooling of the ventilation
air, thanks to energy stored in the ground - available for free.
GWC, or ground heat
exchanger, is an installation that allows heating or cooling of ventilation air
due to energy stored in the ground - available for free.
The ground temperature
at a depth of 1.5 m is in Poland around 14oC in August and
around 5oC in February. At a
slightly greater depth it oscillates around 8 ° C. If the ventilation air contacts the
ground, it heats up in the winter and cools it in the summer - it is possible
thanks to the ground heat exchanger (GWC)
Rod will use ground heat exchangers
Ground heat exchangers
are diaphragm - the air then flows buried under the surface of the earth -
pipes or diaphragms, in which air flows through properly prepared soil layers
(gravel), with direct contact with them.
Benefits of using GWC
In our climate you can
count on the fact that thanks to the use of a ground heat exchanger, the air
temperature will increase (in winter) or fall (in summer) by a few or even
several degrees Celsius. The
greater the temperature difference between air and ground, the more intensive
the heat exchange, therefore the greatest benefits of GWC are related to the
strong frost (it is possible to heat the air from -20 ° C to 0 ° C) and in the
heat (cooling from 30oC to 20oC).
A ground heat exchanger
is not always useful
In transitional periods,
when the outside temperature is from a few to several degrees Celsius, using a
ground heat exchanger makes no sense - due to the small difference in air
temperature and ground heat transfer does not take place. It may also occur that the effect is
counterproductive: air with a temperature of, for example, 12oC - too cold to
ensure thermal comfort in the home - is additionally cooled by soil at a
temperature of, for example, 8 oC. Therefore,
installations with GWC are made in such a way that fresh air can be obtained
without a ground heat exchanger.
