Technologies | Heat Pumps

What is an air source heat pump ?

In June 2019 the UK Government set into law our commitment towards a Net Zero future by the year 2050. To achieve this we must move away from using fossil fuels in all sectors, and the electrification of heat is becoming a major trend to continue this shift away from traditional gas boiler / CHP technology.

Heat pumps are set to become a key technology in this drive towards low carbon / renewables technology.

An Air Source Heat Pump is a two-in-one device that works as a heater in winters and as an air conditioner in summers. It can cool interiors as well as heat depending on the season and settings or maintain a supply of hot water. It is known as an Air Source heat pump because it sources its warmth from the air around.

It works just like an air conditioner. The refrigerant gets circulated through heat exchange and a compressor, and it is connected to a thermostat so you can adjust the temperature according to your comfort level.

An air source heat pump runs on a small amount of electricity and consumes considerably less energy compared to propane or oil fueled furnaces.

Benefits of an ASHP

Heat pumps are being used more and more for commercial and other non-domestic premises including schools, sports centres, shops and offices. A well-designed heat pump system is more than capable of providing all the heating needs for a business as well as helping commercial premises bring down that all important carbon footprint.

Significant savings that can be made on your fuel bills if you are currently using electricity, oil, solid fuel or liquid gas to heat your premises.
You will also be able to benefit from the new Renewable Heat Incentive Initiative from the Department of Energy and Climate Change that pays you per kilowatt hour produced.
Correctly installed by a qualified supplier, heat pump shouldn’t need any regular maintenance and could last between 10 and 25 years or more.
Heat pumps improve air quality, have low noise, low running costs, and can be used as air conditioning, cooling down the office environment when needed, and providing a controlled climate.
A heat pump delivers around 4 kWh of energy for every 1 kWh of electricity used to power it, which means they are 300 to 400% more efficient than electric heating alone.
For the UK, where the climate is fairly moderate, heat pumps can work all year round even at the lower temperatures found in our winters. Latent heat is present in air temperatures as low as -20 degrees.

How do they work ?

Heat has a useful property when it comes to keeping our buildings warm – it moves from a high temperature to a low temperature naturally. What a heat pump does is extract the potential thermal energy in the air outside, warms it up and then feeds into your building.

On the outside of an air source heat pump you will find a system of coils with refrigerant in it, over which the outside air is drawn using an impeller or fan. The liquid in the refrigerant coils absorbs all the heat and, because it warms up, begins to evaporate. This gas then goes through a compressor that increases the temperature dramatically.

The coil then moves inside the building towards some inner coils where the heat is released. The refrigerant meanwhile flows back outside where it picks up more heat and the process starts again.

The useful heat produced is pumped into air ducts and can be transported to various locations around the building or can be used to heat water that feeds into radiators.

Although they use a small amount of electricity to run, heat pumps are considered highly efficient and clean because they don’t depend on the burning of fuel to create the heat.

They perform well in moderate climates such as the UK and can provide heating during the winter, even at temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius.

Mitsubishi commercial ASHPs

Ecodan QAHV Monobloc Air Source Heat Pump

Specifically designed for commercial sanitary hot water application, the Ecodan QAHV CO2 system delivers hot water up to 90 degrees Centigrade to provide a low carbon solution for hospitals, hotels, leisure centres and student accommodation.