Guidance

Discharge of heat to ground from a single closed loop ground source heating and cooling system supplying residential premises: RPS 307

Published 30 September 2024

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharge-of-heat-to-ground-from-a-single-closed-loop-ground-source-heating-and-cooling-system-supplying-residential-premises-rps-307/discharge-of-heat-to-ground-from-a-single-closed-loop-ground-source-heating-and-cooling-system-supplying-residential-premises-rps-307

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have an environmental permit or meet an exemption for a groundwater activity when you install and operate a single closed loop ground source heating and cooling system for residential premises.  

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if you do not comply with this legal requirement provided that: 

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS  
  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS 
  • your activity does not cause (and is not likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health

1. Activity this RPS applies to 

This RPS applies to discharges of heat from single closed loop ground source heating and cooling systems that meet all the following criteria: 

  • they are installed after 2 October 2023 
  • they have a maximum output no greater than 45 kilowatts
  • they are only for use by residential premises, such as a house or buildings designed for people to live in

2. Conditions you must comply with 

You must: 

  • only use a sealed closed loop system that has no discharge, other than heat, to the environment 
  • install the system in a way that does not mobilise any contamination that may be below the ground and cause pollution of groundwater 
  • only install equipment that complies with the relevant design standards set down in the British Standards, and the relevant Ground Source Heat Pump Association standards, as set out in ‘Closed loop ground source heating and cooling systems: exemption conditions’ 
  • as owner or user, keep a detailed plan of all the equipment and pipework that has been installed below the ground surface 
  • ensure the system has a method of leak detection that will alert the owner or user if fluid pressures move outside normal operating ranges 
  • keep records for 2 years to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request

3. When you must check back 

The Environment Agency intends to review this RPS by 30 June 2027. 

The Environment Agency can withdraw or amend this regulatory position before the review date if they consider it necessary. This includes where the activity that this RPS relates to has not changed. 

You will need to check back from time to time, including at and before the review date, to see if this RPS still applies.  

You can subscribe to email updates about this RPS. These will tell you if the RPS has changed and when it has been withdrawn.  

This RPS remains in force until it is removed from GOV.UK or is otherwise identified as having been withdrawn.

4. If you cannot comply with this RPS 

If you operate under this RPS but can no longer comply with it, you must:  

5. Contact the Environment Agency 

You can contact the Environment Agency if you have any questions about this RPS.  

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

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