What is Interseasonal Heat Transfer?

We’re all looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprints and reduce our energy bills. Switching to a renewable energy plan, upgrading your windows and doors, replacing your boiler and finding intelligent ways to reduce energy consumption are all great ways to do this. But our friends over at ICAX have an ingenious solution that could help transform the construction industry as we know it. A solution that could build energy-saving and carbon-reducing solutions into the very fabric of your home. It’s called Interseasonal Heat Transfer, and we’d like to tell you all about how it works. 

Interseasonal Heat Transfer explained

As you can see from ICAX’s website, which you can check out here, Interseasonal Heat Transfer (IHT) is a patented innovation that combines carbon-saving construction technologies and harnesses the ground source energy beneath our feet to build low-carbon homes and workplaces. IHT recycles heat energy from the sun that is absorbed and stored by the ground beneath us, allowing users to channel this near-infinitely renewable heat energy in the colder months. 

This same technology can also be used to cool buildings in the warmer months. Not only is this more efficient than conventional air conditioning, it also reduces the potential transmission of harmful bacteria like legionella that can lurk in air conditioning units.

How is Interseasonal Heat Transfer Achieved?

IHT is essentially a fusion of two very popular technologies that are already at work in many homes around the country- solar thermal heating and ground source heat pumps. However, IHT is capable of delivering far more dramatic results than either technology on its own. 

Insulated thermal banks are used to store renewable heat energy and release it when needed. This technology can be implemented at scale, with the potential for heat sharing networks that create renewable district heating. 

Likewise, these same infrastructures are able to facilitate ground source cooling by siphoning heat from within the building beneath the ground for storage and later use. 

These technologies can save over 75% of carbon emissions when compared to heating with a gas boiler, 80% of carbon emissions compared to using air conditioning for cooling, and can save more than 100% of annual heating system costs when paired with the Renewable Heat Incentive. 

How can ICAX help?

ICAX provides turnkey packages for sustainable construction projects. They provide a comprehensive range of services to ensure that your project has expert guidance through every stage of inception, development and implementation. They can provide guidance from initial feasibility planning through to thermal-modelling, design and delivery. They can even lend support with use and maintenance when you’re up-and-running.

Whether you’re thinking of self-building a new home, or planning low-carbon construction of a business premises, their services can be invaluable in driving down both carbon emissions and heating / cooling costs.