Geothermal collectors
Like geothermal probes, geothermal heat collectors (GHC) are heat exchangers that use the thermal energy of the earth. On average, geothermal heat collectors are installed 30 cm below the frost line. Due to the way the pipes are laid, which is similar to underfloor heating with its meandering shape, geothermal heat collectors take up a large area of land that cannot be built on afterwards. The installation area is roughly double the area to be heated.
The heat from the ground heats up the brine - a water-antifreeze mixture - circulating inside the geothermal collector pipes until it evaporates. Then, the geothermal heat pump compresses the steam and thus increases the temperature, which is then transferred to the heat storage tanks for heating and service water.
Since the drilling work is not very deep, permits are usually not required. However, the geothermal heat collectors are subject to notification. Geothermal heat collectors are cheaper than geothermal probes due to the less complicated construction work, but do not come close to their efficiency due to the possible temperature fluctuations. Being part of a brine-water heat pump, they are subsidised by the government.
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