Genius Energy Lab brings 25 years of ground source heat exchanger and heat pump system design expertise to Australia through new partnership

Genius Energy Lab has partnered with Radiant Heating and Cooling Solutions (RHCS) and Geothermal Industries to support the growing adoption of ground source heating and cooling systems across Australia.

The partnership brings together specialist ground source heat pump (GSHP) and ground heat exchanger (GHEX) design, geothermal drilling and installation expertise, providing developers and project teams with the technical capability needed to take projects from early feasibility through to delivery.

Genius Energy Lab will provide specialist GSHP and ground heat exchanger (GHEX) design for developments, working alongside Australian installer RHCS and drilling specialist Geothermal Industries.

For Genius, the partnership marks an important step in the company's international growth, bringing more than 25 years of ground source and low-carbon energy experience to an Australian market with significant potential.

Australia is entering an exciting phase in the development of ground source energy. As developers increasingly consider the long-term performance, energy efficiency and resilience of their buildings, there is an opportunity to establish good design and delivery practices as the market grows.

Genius and RHCS are already exploring the role ground source heat pumps could play within Australia's expanding aged-care sector. The partnership has identified the technology's ability to provide reliable year-round heating and cooling, lower lifecycle energy costs and long-term low-carbon infrastructure as particularly relevant to new care developments.  

Building good design into the market from the outset

A central focus of the partnership will be ensuring ground source systems are designed around the individual requirements of each development.

The ground heat exchanger is a long-term infrastructure asset, and its design has a direct bearing on system performance. That makes appropriate technical assessment, modelling and design critical before drilling and installation begin.

Genius’ role as an independent, design-only consultancy provides an important separation between the design of the ground array and its construction. Rather than the organisation responsible for installing the system also determining what should be installed, an independent specialist can assess the building loads, ground conditions and proposed system requirements and develop the GHEX design around the long-term needs of the project.

This gives developers and project teams greater transparency over the technical basis of the design and helps reduce the risks associated with undersizing, oversizing or making decisions around short-term construction requirements rather than whole-life system performance.

It also provides a clearer line of professional responsibility. Genius' engineers provide specialist design backed by up to £10,000,000 professional indemnity insurance, depending on the project size and specifics, giving clients independent technical assurance before significant investment is committed to drilling and construction.

This approach reflects Genius’ wider philosophy: on complex GSHP projects, good design is as much about managing risk as producing drawings. Its experience spans feasibility, modelling, detailed design, specification, design assurance and technical support through installation and commissioning.  

Three specialists, one project team

The partnership creates a complementary delivery model.

Genius Energy Lab brings specialist ground source engineering and system design expertise; Geothermal Industries provides specialist geothermal drilling capability; and RHCS brings the installation and project delivery expertise required to turn the design into an efficient working heating and cooling system.

By bringing those disciplines together while maintaining independent design oversight, the partners aim to give Australian developers access to specialist expertise at each stage of a ground source project.

Genius’ experience includes commercial and large-scale residential projects, with expertise covering geological assessment, feasibility, energy modelling, system sizing and detailed GSHP and GHEX design. Its Australian work with RHCS is already drawing on experience from UK projects across retirement living and residential care, including feasibility and system design for purpose-built care facilities and low-carbon retirement communities.  

‍

Richard Davis, CEO, Genius Energy Lab

“We’re incredibly excited to be working with RHCS and Geothermal Industries in Australia. We’ve spent more than 25 years developing our expertise in ground source heat pump system design, and we can’t wait to bring that experience to the Australian market.

“We see a huge opportunity and are very much looking forward to what we can achieve together.”

‍

James O'Neill, General Manager, RHCS

“Partnering with Genius Energy Lab gives our clients something the Australian market hasn't really had until now: independent, specialist ground source design backed by decades of real project experience. We're excited to be working with the best team in the business for GHEX and GSHP design, and it means we can install with confidence, knowing every system has been designed around the building and the ground it sits on.”

"We're already seeing strong interest, particularly in aged care, where reliable year-round comfort and lower running costs matter enormously. We also have a number of large-scale commercial projects in the pipeline that we're looking forward to delivering with Genius Energy Lab. Together with Genius and Geothermal Industries, we're excited to show what well-designed ground source systems can deliver.” ‍

‍

Peter Forbes, General Manager Geothermal Industries

“The ground heat exchanger is the foundation of any ground source system. Once it's in the ground, it needs to perform for decades, so getting the design right before we start drilling is critical.”

"We've drilled more geothermal probes in Australia than all other companies combined, and we're excited to combine that experience with the expertise of the Genius Energy Lab team. Working with Genius means every borefield we drill is backed by detailed modelling of the ground conditions and building loads. Together with our exclusive distribution agreement with geothermal manufacturer Muovitech, it means our clients get proven design, proven drilling and proven products.

"As ground source energy grows in Australia, we're proud to be part of a team that's setting a high standard from the start.”

Find out more about the partners and our work:

About Genius Energy Lab

Visit RHCS

Visit Geothermal Industries

‍