Northern Ireland Housing Executive Demonstration Site
Domestic-scale installations at NIHE's Net-Zero Centre of Excellence training facility, Cloughfern, Belfast
GEMINI will add domestic-scale installations to two new NIHE demonstration houses in Belfast, as part of a hands-on facility for low carbon technology skills training.
Two closed-loop geothermal systems will be installed, comprising vertical boreholes and horizontal collectors. The vertical boreholes will be drilled to a depth of approximately 200 metres and the horizontal ‘slinky’ closed-loop systems constructed by trenching to a depth of just over a metre. The two systems will have ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) that can provide both heating and will be connected by a short ambient heat network. The systems will be instrumented to enable data to be gathered on efficiency, and designed in a way that the internal workings of the (usually concealed) underground aspects are visible and can be used for teaching.
Through organised educational programmes, this geothermal energy installation at the Centre of Excellence will enable trainees – apprentices, staff and NIHE tenants - to develop hands-on experience in how to install and maintain these systems. It will also provide information on the shallow geothermal potential of the Lagan Valley region for other interested users. The site cannot facilitate visitors on a ‘drop-in’ basis, although supporting events are being planned.
The following GEMINI partners are involved in activities at NIHE Net-Zero Centre of Excellence: NIHE, Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (providing technical support and advice), Queens University Belfast and Ulster University (research and monitoring), Think-tank for Action on Social Change (community engagement research), RML (communications and engagement).
