7TH APR 2022
GC Zero Nearing Completion
Latest News
As our GC Zero project is nearing completion, a second rig is in place at Gloucester campus to progress the drilling after completing all 40 boreholes at our Cheltenham Campus.
So far, 26 out of the 40 boreholes planned for Gloucester have been drilled, with the rest expected to be complete over the next few weeks.
With each borehole being 200m deep, our campuses have seen just over 13km of drilling between them – approximately the distance between our Gloucester and Cheltenham campuses.
What are the boreholes for?
Drilling the boreholes is a key step in generating energy from the ground. Once drilled, pipes will be installed in each borehole. A heat pump will then pump fluid through the pipes, collecting residual heat from the ground and carrying it to the main heat exchange which then raises the temperature further – all before delivering the heat to the campus buildings.
Heat Pumps and Thermal Stores
At both sites, heat pumps and thermal stores are in place, and mechanical and electrical works are in progress to connect them to the college’s internal heat distribution. New pipes are also in place to carry the energy into the buildings – you may have seen them in place on the buildings already. They will soon be fully connected to the heat pumps.
What’s next?
During the Easter break, our contractors will be taking the opportunity to progress with areas of drilling that are difficult to access during term-time. Once the final connection between the heat pumps and internal heat distribution is made, we’ll begin the switchover that sees the campuses function on fully renewable energy.
Stay up-to-date with GC Zero over on our blog, full of the latest updates.
