Startup installs first low-cost, compact geothermal system
Startup GEHECO has installed its first innovative geothermal system prototype at Delft's Green Village.
Published on June 3, 2026
© GEHECO
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Dutch cleantech startup GEHECO has reached a major milestone by installing and connecting its first prototype geothermal ground loop system at The Green Village, the innovation test site of Delft University of Technology. The demonstration marks the first full proof of concept for GEHECO's technology, which aims to make ground-source heat pumps affordable and accessible for the millions of homes currently locked out of the technology.
Ground-source heat pumps are widely regarded as one of the most efficient and sustainable heating solutions available — quiet, invisible, and capable of cooling in summer too. Yet in existing housing, adoption has remained stubbornly low. The culprit is almost always the same: drilling a traditional geothermal borehole requires heavy machinery, significant disruption, and costs that put the technology out of reach for most homeowners.
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A groundbreaking geothermal system
GEHECO's approach turns that model on its head. Rather than drilling a hole, inserting a pipe, and backfilling with bentonite, GEHECO uses a standard polyethylene (PE) pipe as both the borehole casing and the pushrod during installation. Once the target depth is reached, the drill head is retrieved, the pipe is sealed, and a concentric inner pipe is inserted — leaving a complete heat exchanger in place. The process requires far less equipment: whereas a conventional installation demands three trucks, GEHECO can fit everything into a single van, small enough to be carried through a house and into a back garden.
For the test at The Green Village, GEHECO placed a single 25-meter borehole drilled at a 66-degree angle, flushed and sealed the system, and connected it to a working heat pump supplied by partner Itho Daalderop, with installation work carried out by Giesbers InstallatieGroep. The heat output measurement phase is still running and expected to continue over the coming weeks.
The company's compact drilling machine, called the Above Soil Unit (ASU), is designed to fit through a standard doorway — and GEHECO has its sights set even further, with plans to enable installation directly from a home's crawl space one day. The technology targets drilling costs of around one-third of current market rates.
Two further tests are planned for 2026, including a larger demonstration with multiple connected boreholes. If all goes to plan, the first installations at private homes are expected to follow in early 2027.