The earths surface absorbs a large proportion of the incident solar radiation, which in the UK keeps the ground, and ground water, at a stable temperature of between 11-12°C all year round. The temperature of the earth is therefore higher than the mean air temperature in winter but lower than the mean air temperature in summer.

This is a readily accessible energy source for heating dwellings in the UK. A heat pump extracts solar heat from the ground by 'moving' heat from one place to another and from a lower temperature to a higher temperature, to heat dwellings. It is essentially the same technology (in reverse) as a conventional domestic refrigerator.

Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) therefore utilize stored solar heat, and do not generally use deep geothermal heat generated by the earths core.

Air source heat pumps can do a similar thing using heat in the air.

Note: Heat pumps use electricity, and this may have to come from the grid. If the mains supply is coming from a conventional source eg gas, coal or nuclear station, then the carbon emissions may not be much better than that of a gas condensing boiler, as a lot of energy is wasted in generating and transporting electricity . It may be worth mentioning that only the use of green electricity from renewable sources, for the running of heatpumps, would give a truly carbon neutral form of heating.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT HEAT PUMPS PLEASE CLICK HERE

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