Category: ENERGY Air Source Heat Pumps

Air source heat pump (ASHP) extracts heat from surroundings and underground to provide heating.  Such systems can be individually based on air-based systems or it can be based on hybrid systems where it can provide a rise in temperatures even when the environmental temperatures are below -15 degree Celsius. The demand for such hybrid technologies is high in countries facing freezing weather conditions for the most part of the year, where the advancement in research has provided ways to enhance the usability of ASHP based on hybrid green solutions. 

In European countries, half of the power produced is diverted to heating and cooling homes. The decarbonization goals cannot be achieved without using a combination of different types of zero carbon technologies and devices. 

To meet the target reduction in emissions, the EU requires electrification, which is essentially driven by carbon-free methods.  Although wind and solar constitute a part of the supplies, heating pumps help to balance the requirement and promote storage to get low-cost energy.

ASHP can contribute to heating individual buildings and factories. The adoption of a number of different types of decarbonization technologies together helps in reduction of heat demand in buildings. 

Innovative technologies are improving the energy performance of buildings where the equipment offers smart control systems which includes the combination of pumps, biofuels, e-gas and other options. Such investment is categorized as a productive investment and is gaining public support globally.  

ASHP offers air-to-air and air-to-water systems where the technology offers better efficiency as compared to standard boilers.  These can lower energy bills and provide opportunities to earn through the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), while, it requires low maintenance. 

Installing these systems can cost between £7,000 and £11,000 as estimated by the Energy Saving Trust (EST). The cost of operation can vary depending on several factors such as the size of your home, how well insulated it is and also the type of room temperatures one is looking for. These are however far cheaper to run than ground source heat pumps. The payback depends on how efficiently the system works.