GEHECO has installed its first innovative ground-source system and successfully connected it to a heat pump during a test at The Green Village. GEHECO develops technology that fundamentally changes the installation of ground sources for heat pumps. In a recent test, the company has taken an important step toward commercial application.
A ground-source heat pump is considered the ideal sustainable solution for many homes: efficient, no outside unit and sound, and suitable for both heating and cooling. However, large-scale adoption in existing houses has lagged behind. The reason is almost always the same: installing the ground source is complex, expensive, and highly invasive.
The first fully functional GEHECO source installation
During the test GEHECO successfully installed and operated its first fully functional underground source based on the company’s proprietary technology concept. During the test, we:
- installed a 25-meter ground source;
- drilled at an angle of 66 degrees;
- measured the exact position and direction of the source;
- flushed and sealed the system;
- built a fully operational heat exchanger;
- connected the system to an operational heat pump installation.
The installation was completed together with Giesbers Installatie Groep and Itho Daalderop and represents the first full-scale demonstration of the GEHECO principle under real-world conditions.
The Above Soil Unit (ASU)
To enable compact residential installation, GEHECO is developing the Above Soil Unit (ASU), an extremely compact installation machine. The ASU is small enough to:
- move through a standard house into the backyard;
- and eventually install sources directly from within the house (via crawl space).
This opens the possibility for ground-source systems in dense urban environments and existing residential neighborhoods where traditional drilling equipment simply cannot reach. Interest in ground-source heat pumps continues to grow rapidly. Homeowners especially value:
- very high efficiency;
- the absence of an outdoor unit;
- silent operation;
- and passive cooling during summer.
However, the high cost and complexity of drilling underground sources remain one of the biggest barriers to adoption. As a result, many homeowners ultimately choose air-to-water heat pumps instead.
GEHECO aims to solve exactly that problem.
Next Steps: Further Testing and Scaling Up
The successful field test at The Green Village marks the beginning of the next development phase for GEHECO. In the coming period, we will focus on:
- further optimization of the technology;
- validation of long-term thermal performance;
- additional testing for certification processes;
- and scaling toward larger demonstration projects.
According to our current roadmap, two additional technical tests are planned this year (2026), including a larger demonstration with multiple connected sources. Following these demonstrations, GEHECO plans to begin pilot installations, after that the first residential installations expected from early 2027 onward. For more info see our planning section.
Interested in future demonstration projects? Please see the section about the GEHECO Fan Program
Proving the System Works
The test at The Green Village was not only about placing a source into the ground. The main objective was to validate the complete GEHECO system in practice. The project demonstrated:
- the innovative drilling process;
- the newly developed installation methodology;
- the operation of the concentric heat exchanger;
- integration with an existing heat pump system;
- and the thermal performance of the source.
This successful test marks an important Proof of Concept for GEHECO. In the energy transition, many innovations show strong technical potential but struggle to scale in existing residential areas due to cost, complexity, or installation limitations. Demonstrating reliable operation in a real-world environment is therefore a critical step toward commercialization.
Compact Technology With Major Impact
The innovation behind GEHECO lies both in the drilling process and in the design of the underground source itself. Traditional ground loops are typically installed using large drilling rigs and multiple installation steps. GEHECO combines these steps into one integrated process. In the GEHECO system, the polyethylene pipe (PE) functions not only as the heat exchanger, but also as the drilling rod itself. Once the desired depth is reached, the system remains directly in the ground. This creates several major advantages:
- far less heavy equipment;
- significantly lower installation costs;
- minimal disruption to the property and garden;
- shorter installation times;
- and applicability in locations where conventional drilling rigs cannot operate.
This approach makes ground-source heat pumps accessible to many homes that are currently excluded from conventional drilling solutions.
