We’re proud to share that the SEEDS project is featured in the latest issue of Heat Pumping Technologies Magazine (Vol. 42, Issue 2/2024) with a technical article authored by Lone Meertens from KU Leuven.

📝 Article title:
“Reducing Capital Cost for Geothermal Heat Pump Systems Through Dynamic Borefield Sizing”
🔗 Read the full article

🧪 About the publication

The article explores how dynamic borehole modeling, which accounts for short-term thermal effects—can significantly improve the design of geothermal heat pump systems (GHPS).

🔍 Key insights:

• Traditional steady-state models tend to oversize borefields by ignoring the thermal inertia of grout, pipes, and fluid.
• Dynamic models reduce the predicted peak heat transfer, allowing for smaller borefield sizes and lower installation costs.
• In one scenario (an auditorium), the borefield size was reduced by up to 35% using the proposed method.
• The study highlights the importance of adapting sizing approaches to the building’s thermal load profile.

This work builds on previous research presented at IGSHPA 2024 and leverages the GHEtool open-source software to model different building types, including offices, swimming pools, and auditoriums.

💡 These innovations support SEEDS’ mission to decarbonise heating and cooling in buildings, making sustainable HVAC systems more accessible, efficient, and cost-effective.

👏 Congratulations to the KU Leuven team for this excellent contribution to the field of sustainable building technologies!