Posted by
china heat pump on Monday, November 30, 2009 1:39:45 AM
Air source heat pumps
Heat your home with energy absorbed from the air around you
Air
source heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air. This heat can then
be used to warm water for radiators or underfloor heating systems, or
to warm the air in your home.
How do air source heat pumps work?
An
air source heat pump extracts heat from the outside air in the same way
that a fridge extracts heat from its inside. It can extract heat from
the air even when the outside temperature is as low as minus 15° C.
There are two main types:
· An air-to-water system
uses the heat to warm water. Heat pumps heat water to a lower
temperature than a standard boiler system would, so they are more
suitable for underfloor heating systems than radiator systems.
· An air-to-air system produces warm air which is circulated by fans to heat your home.
The
efficiency of air source heat pump systems is measured by a coefficient
of performance (CoP) - the amount of heat they produce compared to the
amount of electricity needed to run them. A typical CoP for an air
source heat pump is around 2.5.
The benefits of air source heat pumps
· Reduce your fuel bills: air source heat pumps run on electricity, so there's no need to pay for gas, oil or solid fuels to heat your home.
· Cut down on wasted electricity: heating your home with an air source heat pump is much more efficient than using electric radiators.
· Save space: an air source heat pump system is compact, and requires no storage space for fuel.
Is an air source heat pump suitable for my home?
To tell if an Air
source heat pump is right for you, there are a few key questions to consider:
· Do you have somewhere to put it?
You'll need a place outside your house where a unit can be fitted to a
wall or placed on the ground. It will need plenty of space around it to
get a good flow of air.
· Is your home well insulated? Since
air source heat pumps produce less heat than traditional boilers, it's
essential that your home is insulated and draught proofed well for the
heating system to be effective.
· What fuel will you be replacing? The
system will pay for itself much more quickly if it's replacing an
electricity, Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) or coal heating system than a
gas one.
· What type of heating system do you want? Air source heat pumps are much better at powering underfloor heating systems or warm air heating than radiator-based systems.
· Is the system intended for a new development? Combining the installation with other building work can reduce the cost of installing the system.
To find out more about whether an air
source heat pump is suitable for your home, use our energy selector tool - coming soon.
Costs and savings
Costs
for installing a typical system suitable for a detached home range from
about £5,000 to £10,000 including installation. Running costs for space
heating are likely to be around £440 per year. This will vary depending
on a number of factors - including the size of your home and how well
insulated it is.
Savings can be considerable - up to 6 tonnes of CO2 and £870 per year for a system that replaces an electric heating system.
|
Fuel Displaced
|
£ Saving per year
|
CO2 saving per year
|
|
Gas
|
£300
|
830 kg
|
|
Electricity
|
£870
|
6 tonnes
|
|
Oil
|
£580
|
1.3 tonnes
|
|
Solid
|
£280
|
5 tonnes
|
All savings are approximate and are based on an air source heat pump providing 100% of space heating in a detached property.
To
reduce your home's CO2 emissions further, consider installing solar
electricity or some other form of renewable electricity generating
system to power the compressor and pump.
From: http://www.china-heat-pump.com/news/index.html