 Air Source Heat Pumps
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As oil and gas prices rocket and forecasts predict higher prices to come, more and more planners, developers and builders and especially householders are searching for alternative energy sources. One that has been surprisingly overlooked in the UK until recently is the use of Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP's); a method of taking energy from the outside atmosphere and converting it into hot water for domestic use and central heating. Two major, GrEnergy prefered, suppliers of such Heat Pumps are NIBE Energy Systems Limited and Mitsubishi Electric Heating Systems (Ecodan - Advanced Heating Technonogy) both of which GrEnergy are fully accredited suppliers and installers. |
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The modern Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) system offers a viable alternative to traditional heating and hot water boiler installations. They are relatively simple to install, cheap to run, don't require gas or yearly safety certificates, and can offer efficiency levels in excess of 300%.
To explain the efficiency, we first need to look at how a gas boiler works. With conventional gas boilers, even the most modern, ultra efficient types, for every 1kW of energy that is fed into the boiler less than 1kw (about 0.93kW) of heat energy is provided for a building. This is an efficiency level of 93%.
Heat pumps are movers of heat energy, they harvest naturally occurring low temperature heat in the outdoor environment and upgrade it into useful high temperature heat to reduce primary fuel consumption. With a typical ASHP, 1kW delivers a heat output in excess of 3kW’s, that’s a coefficient of performance (COP) of 3 or a 300% increase in energy efficiency.
This huge increase in efficiency occurs when we compare a modern condensing gas boiler against an ASHP.
When replacing say 5-15 year old boiler with an ASHP, the savings in both fuel and CO2 emissions will be even grater, especially when compared with oil-fired, LPG or direct electric heating.
These efficiency levels are achievable right now with today’s ASHP’s even when the inefficiencies and losses of running on electricity from the national grid are taken into account. |
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ASHP - Outdoor Air
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Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP’s) extract heat energy from the air outside your house use it to heat your home and hot water. The way it is able to do this is explained in the Heat Pump section of this website. The Heat Pump is mounted externally to your home (but near to it), and needs good air circulation, local drainage for condensation and, ideally, a solid concrete base.
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Air Source Heat Pumps are commonly sized to cope with the majority of your home’s requirements but can call upon the support of the original heating boiler during the very highest of demands. ASHP’s are primarily designed for use with low temperature heating systems, including underfloor heating at 35°C and with radiators at up to 50°C. Thus, they are ideally suited for use in well insulated and modern buildings. Similarly, they can be used to heat domestic hot water to 50°C but this temperature can be boosted by an immersion heater or the original heating system if deemed necessary. ASHP’s are also well suited for use in conjunction with Solar Hot Water Systems.
Installation of an ASHP can lead to your energy consumption for heating being reduced by anything up to 50%, in comparison to conventional heating systems.
An ASHP is especially useful if it is not possible to drill in a ground probe or install a surface absorber on the property. It is often a preferred option as ground-works are costly and disruptive.
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ASHP - Exhaust Air |
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| Controlled domestic ventilation with heat recovery reuses the energy from the exhaust air. Not only that, the additional heat generated internally from lighting, people and domestic appliances is also utilised through heat recovery. The mechanical ventilation means totally hygienic inside air and is a basic requirement for living in a healthy house. |
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Installation Pictures |
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More pictures coming soon... | |
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Heat pumps
How does it work?
Ground source |
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