| Air Source Heat Pumps are renewable energy | | | | 50% can also be achieved. Air Source Heat |
| systems that provide heating and hot water using | | | | Pumps have a CoP (Coefficient of Performance) |
| free solar energy from the air. This energy is | | | | of 4:1. This means for every unit of energy |
| converted to a usable temperature and can then | | | | consumed you would get a return of 4 usable |
| provide all heating and hot water requirements. | | | | units of usable energy. |
| These products are split into 2 parts, the outdoor | | | | Benefits Well tried and cost effective method of |
| air handling unit that can be situated up to 30m | | | | harnessing renewable energy. |
| away from the property and the heat pump and | | | | Reduce carbon emissions - reduce carbon |
| water tank that are typically located in a utility | | | | emissions by up to 50% in comparison to a |
| room. In addition, installing one of these units | | | | traditional gas or oil boiler. This can be reduced |
| means there is no need for a costly connection to | | | | further if the electricity used to power the air |
| the mains gas network and no unsightly oil tank | | | | source heat pump comes from a renewable |
| or storage requirement for solid fuel. Air source | | | | energy source e.g. wind turbines or solar PV. |
| heat pumps do not require any scheduled annual | | | | Can be used to provide both heating in winter and |
| maintenance like conventional boilers, good quality | | | | cooling in summer, as required. |
| air source heat pumps should operate for at least | | | | High return of renewable energy for capital costs |
| 20 years maintenance free. | | | | compared to other forms of renewable energy. |
| How do they work? Heat pumps use similar | | | | Ease of installation. |
| technology to that employed in domestic | | | | Low maintenance - These units do not require |
| refrigerators or freezers, but in reverse. It may | | | | any scheduled annual maintenance like |
| not feel like it to us but even on the coldest day | | | | conventional boilers, good quality air source heat |
| or night there is always lots of thermal energy | | | | pumps should operate for at least 20 years. |
| (heat) in the air. An air source heat pump works | | | | Disadvantages |
| by extracting low-grade heat from the air outside | | | | The units are a little on the noisy side to be |
| but where a refrigerator rejects heat from the | | | | happily operating indoors. |
| contents to keep it cool, a heat pump will use it | | | | The recovery rate, the time taken to replenish |
| to heat water and provide heating. In most cases | | | | your hot water cylinder, is rather slow. A typical |
| this technology can provide all hot water and | | | | 3kW unit would take over two hours to recover, |
| heating requirements, without the need for top-up | | | | as compared with 30 minutes for a similar-sized |
| from a boiler. However, a boiler could be | | | | cylinder heated by a conventional boiler. |
| connected in situations where the unit is not large | | | | Heat pumps lose their efficiency as external |
| enough to meet the demand in colder weather. | | | | temperatures fall. In colder climates the system |
| How much can be saved and what is the effect | | | | needs to be installed with an auxiliary source of |
| on the environment? Savings on fuel bills can be | | | | heat to providing heat at low temperatures or if |
| substantial compared with traditional heating | | | | the heat pump should require repair. |
| systems. A reduction of CO2 emissions of up to | | | | |