Countless coverage has been dedicated to domestic air source heat pumps across news and social media platforms, some of it with a negative bias. There&#;s the high cost in comparison to a gas boiler, the difficulties of retrofitting heat pumps into older, poorly insulated properties, plus a lack of skilled installers. But whilst the media storm rages, larger heat pumps designed for commercial properties are being successfully installed across the UK, delivering heat and, step by step, transitioning us towards decarbonisation.
All air source heat pumps work on the same principal of using a refrigeration cycle to transfer heat from external air and using it for heating and in some cases, hot water within a building.
To explain in more detail: a fan passes ambient air over extremely cold liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant captures the heat from the ambient air and becomes a warm vapour. That vapour passes through a compressor which produces hot refrigerant. The heat in the hot refrigerant is then transferred to the heating and hot water system through a heat exchanger. After the heat is transferred the refrigerant passes through an expansion valve which reduces its temperature, making it really cold again and enabling it to capture heat from the ambient air, continuing the cycle.
Even when it&#;s very cold outside, down to minus 20°C a heat pump will still work and will still deliver heat, although at minus external air temperature figures it does have to work harder and is therefore less efficient.
Both domestic and commercial heat pumps work in this same way, but with commercial heat pumps the units are understandably larger and more powerful.
Commercial heat pumps have a wide range of commercial and industrial applications, including new build, refurbishment and retro-fit:
Any commercial building can benefit from a heat pump as long as it has effective insulation, external space for the heat pump unit, and the unit is correctly sized, as well as having access to a sufficient electrical supply. Thermal insulation is key here as without it the system will need to overcompensate to maintain a steady temperature.
Another important consideration, is the radiators. Heat pumps operate at lower temperatures to gas boilers, so ideally larger radiators are required to get the best efficiency from the heat pump and to effectively heat the building. This may mean replacing the radiators, which is a cost that needs to be factored in.
Heat pumps have many benefits when it comes to commercial properties. Let&#;s look at each of these in turn:
Ideal Heating&#;s range of ECOMOD monobloc air source heat pumps have been specifically designed for use in commercial applications. They are available in a choice of refrigerants &#; R32, R290 and R744 &#; and can be used alone or cascaded to meet the heating requirements of larger buildings. Each model in the range will suit commercial situations more than others, whilst also combining with alternative Ideal products, such as the EVOMAX 2 and the IMAX XTRA 2 commercial condensing boilers, to build a low carbon hybrid heating system.
To find out more about commercial heat pumps, contact your business development manager.
The need to reduce carbon emissions is something that every business is being pushed by government and customers to take on board.
And at the same time, the national strategy for cutting carbon emissions to net zero is being rolled out with clear guidelines on what is coming down the line over the next few years, including the decarbonisation of business and domestic heating.
That means replacing fossil-fuel, CO2 generating gas boilers with clean green heating solutions. And a favoured technology being promoted by government is the heat pump.
For businesses, the move to heat pumps will help to manage energy consumption effectively, with rising prices a growing burden. Energy prices have more than doubled in the past 10 years and all the forecasts point to continued strong price rises over the next decade.
Heat pumps also shrink a company&#;s carbon footprint, delivering measurable efficiencies to strengthen Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and policy.
Heat pumps provide a sustainable and low carbon source of energy for heating and hot water. Replacing gas energy generation helps to simplify a company&#;s Scope 1 and Scope 2 reporting.
The technology is very efficient with average savings in excess of 40-60% for ground or air source pumps. Heat pump systems are 400% more efficient that standard heating systems because they extract and move heat rather than generate it through costly combustion.
And the savings can be boosted further with other sustainable technologies like solar PV, to provide electricity to power the extractor process.
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The technology is mature and very reliable. Heat pumps require minimum maintenance and are built to run for around 25 years with no efficiency loss, compared with a fossil-fuel burning boiler designed for a working life of around 12 years, losing 2% efficiency per year.
Heat pumps also provide excellent safety levels, compared with fossil-fuel heating systems where gas leaks and fires are not uncommon. As an adjunct safety improvement, heat pumps provide water at a workable temperature, removing the potential for scalding. There&#;s also no chance of a carbon monoxide leak.
They can be used as a cooling system. Unlike gas boilers, which can only be used to heat buildings and water, heat pumps can be switched to a cooling system in warmer weather
Heat pumps are used to extract thermal energy in the outside air or from the ground or water, and moving it inside where it is compressed and the heat transferred using a series of coils.
As an energy technology, heat pumps are very efficient and clean. While they do use electricity to power a part of the operation, they don&#;t burn fossil fuels directly to generate heat. What&#;s more, they work effectively in temperate climates like the UK and deliver heating even when external temperatures are as low.
The technology helps to reduce corporate carbon footprint and application in business can help to reinforce ESG with wider Net Zero strategies. SaveMoneyCutCarbon has a Carbon Mentor service to help companies with clean heat planning as well as provision of Impact Statements.
SaveMoneyCutCarbon also offers a unique audit service, the SORT (Saving Opportunity Report Tool) to identify potential energy savings.
Ground Source Heat Pumps tap into the generally stable temperature of an area of ground or body of water near a business property. These retain warmth from the sun as well as geothermal gradients and groundwater movement which means GSHPs are effective even in colder parts of the country.
This stored energy is extracted to provide heating and hot water. Heat pumps can also provide comfort cooling from the same system.
Pipes are installed in a borehole, trench or surface water in a precise pattern known as the ground loop. The pipes contain heat transfer fluid in a closed loop, which flows repeatedly through a heat pump, compressor and expansion valve to provide uniform heat all year round.
There is a range of solutions to provide the most suitable and effective heat pump installation.
Water source Heat Pumps: Large bodies of water retain heat from the sun and the bottom of the lake or pond, and this energy can be extracted for heating and cooling.
This is done through a system of flexible pipes or stainless-steel collector plates containing thermal transfer fluid placed in the water. The fluid absorbs heat from the surrounding water as it passes through the pipe and carries it to a GSHP.
As in other solutions, the heat pump system utilises the refrigerant and heat exchangers to extract energy from the thermal transfer fluid for heating and hot water.
Air Source Heat Pumps: The sun warms the air around buildings, creating a temperature difference, even in the coldest areas of the country. This energy can be extracted through an ASHP system, for heating, hot water and cooling.
One or more AHSPs are installed outside the premises and the system draws air across refrigerant coils, warming the refrigerant fluid. This energy is compressed in the heat pumps and then used for heating and hot water.
Companies can claim 130% capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery investments, including heat pumps and solar, for expenditure incurred from 1 April until the end of March &#; the so-called &#;super-deduction&#;. For every pound a company invests, their taxes are cut by up to 25p.
Alongside the super-deduction, there are three other significant capital allowance measures (announced in the autumn Budget):
This article has been written by SaveMoneyCutCarbon and is correct at January . This content does not constitute advice and is for general guidance and educational purposes only. It should not be circulated or used in presentations or materials without prior approvals and does not constitute legal advice or formal training. Always undertake your own research before taking any action. It is recommended that specific professional advice relevant to any particular or individual situation is sought before acting on any information given (© SaveMoneyCutCarbon.com)
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