RSK Group Ltd, a leading integrated environmental, engineering and technical services business, is excited to announce its partnership with American business Rygan Corp., a material sciences company that specialises in composite engineering and thermodynamics. Rygan’s ground-source heat system has been used successfully in the USA since 2008, but RSK’s exclusive contract brings the innovative technology to the UK and Ireland for the first time.
RSK company Ground Heat, a market leader in ground-source heat pumps and battery storage, will use the Rygan system to deliver advanced renewable heating solutions for commercial and domestic applications. Ground Heat’s extensive expertise and experience in designing and installing ground-source heat systems makes it ideally placed to take the technology to the next level.
RSK supply and engineering company Drilling Supplies & Hire Services Ltd will also sell systems to other businesses, thereby ensuring that the progressive technology is readily available nationwide.
Ground-source heat pumps are attracting great interest, as they promise to deliver year-round energy efficiency, which has significant environmental benefits. As part of the UK government’s road map to net zero, its Ten Point Plan aims for the installation of 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028, of which only around 30,000 are currently being delivered.
Ground-source heat pumps work by extracting heat stored in the ground. At depths of 1 m or more, there is an enormous store of heat that can be usefully tapped for heating in the winter. The most practical ways of extracting this energy are to bury pipes in the ground in horizontal trenches at a depth of 1–2 m or by using vertical boreholes. Fluid passed through these pipes absorbs the heat from the ground and then enters a compressor that raises it to a higher temperature, which can then heat water for the heating and hot-water circuits of the premises. These premises could have residential, commercial or industrial uses: any building that wants to make its heating system more efficient and renewable could benefit from ground-source heat.
All ground-source heat pumps are dependent on ground loops for efficiency. If the temperature of the water coming in from the loop field falls below 5°C, heat pumps are forced to work harder to maintain thermostat settings. This uses more energy and results in higher operating costs. The Rygan coaxial system can provide efficient ground-loop temperatures with about half the borehole requirements of traditional plastic ground loops. The Rygan composite material presents less resistance to heat transfer between the ground and the heat pump, thereby enabling it to collect more heat with less drilling.
Furthermore, Rygan produces a system suitable for depths beyond that conventional ground loops can achieve (as deep as 460 m in the USA). This enables access to the warmer formation temperatures that are off limits to traditional ground loops. For larger projects such as tower blocks, this can be particularly advantageous and cost-effective. Fewer boreholes mean a lower space requirement, which has significant benefits in urban areas where space is a valuable commodity. This advantage means more urban and metropolitan venues are eligible for geo-based sustainability options.
“We are delighted to partner with Rygan to bring this ground-source heat innovation into the UK and Ireland markets,” commented Dave Thomson, Ground Heat Managing Director. “As industry leaders, we are dedicated to leading the way in advancing renewable heating solutions and are excited for the opportunities this brings us. In the near future, we see the potential for also delivering the Rygan system in Europe.”
“RSK has clearly demonstrated both aptitude and commitment in helping its client base meet sustainability objectives,” said Lane Lawless, Chief Operating Officer of Rygan. “RSK understands that demand-side reduction is mission critical for achieving meaningful sustainability and is now exclusively poised to deliver the most efficient, closed-loop geothermal systems in the UK and Ireland. These systems will be delivered with the least amount of property disruption, drilling and time on-site. The warm, comfortable environment demanded by the occupants of homes and buildings just became exponentially more achievable and economical for RSK’s client base.”
“To be able to offer this pioneering technology to our clients is an exciting prospect,” added Phil Smith, Drilling Supplies Managing Director. “We look forward to working with both our sister RSK company Ground Heat and Rygan to bring the system to the UK and Ireland.”