Introductiuon to Heat Pumps
Heat Pumps are used to heat buildings by providing space heating and domestic hot water. They heat your central heating system replacing the need for a traditional boiler and removing the need for gas or oil. Heat pumps work in the same way as refrigerators – they transfer heat from one place to another. In the case of refrigerators they transfer heat from the inside of the fridge to the surrounding environment. In the case of heat pumps they transfer heat from the external environment (ground, air or water) to the inside of the property. Even cold ground, air or water has some energy that can be extracted in it. The source of this heat is often solar energy (the sun’s rays) heating the ground or the air.
The process requires electricity; this is why heat pumps are considered low-carbon technologies and not completely renewable. If a heat pump system was designed so that the electrical energy came from a renewable source such as wind or solar, or if the building purchased electricity from a renewable electricity supplier using heat pumps could be considered a renewable energy.
Benefits of Heat Pumps
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There is no boiler, fuel store, flue or ventilation requirements
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There are no combustible or explosive materials stored in or around the building
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Low maintenance
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High reliability
Heat Pump Options
Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) transfer energy from the ground to heat your property. This is done using collector loops; lengths of pipe which absorb energy from the ground. This requires suitable space to lay large lengths of pipe either horizontally in trenches or vertically in boreholes. Find out more about Ground Source Heat Pumps.
Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) transfer energy from the air outside to heat your building. Heat exchangers are installed outside or sometimes inside (with a suitable vent) the building in question. They do not require any ground loops as they take energy directly from the outside air, and feed into the houses existing heating circuit in the same way as GSHPs. Find out more about Air Source Heat Pumps.
