[peterclary]

What is the impact on the immediate local environment? Drawing the heat out of the ground throughout the year surely means the ground will be colder going into winter. What impact does that have on plants, insects and small mammals when they are overwintering in the ground, etc? And what is the knock-on effect from that?

[rightbyte]

I have never heard this to be a problem for classic water water heatpumps. The hole goes straight down so the area impacted is quite small and the first part is isolated anyways.

Dunno how far down insects and mouses live?

In the article they mention heating the ground with 1.5m deep holes. I guess that would annoy the local life?

[ttyprintk]

I’ve heard horizontal heat exchangers can freeze the soil. Grass is expected to be fine, but tree roots might reach.