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With the rise of environmentally friendly heating options, air source heat pumps are becoming more common for industrial application. Their sustainability and energy efficiency makes them a popular choice for heating solutions in commercial properties.
Within this article, we will discuss five benefits of air source heat pumps and how Chillaire can help with your heating requirements.
How to Choose the Right Commercial Heating SystemChoosing the right commercial heating system can be key in helping your business. Whether you are looking to keep your customers warm in the winter or maintain a consistent temperature throughout your office, it is important to choose a heating system that will benefit your business.
Here at Chillaire, we have decades of experience supplying, installing and maintaining commercial and industrial heating systems across Coventry and the Midlands.
Air source heat pumps are a new type of low-carbon heating system that transfers heat from the outside air (ambient air) into water which is then used through a HVAC plant to heat your building They are becoming more and more popular in homes / commercial premises / retails premises and some industrial applications due to their energy efficiency and economic benefits.
The heat pump vs gas boiler debate is one that is currently popular, and it is also one that is fairly complex. But are heat pumps better than boilers? If you are looking to make the move from your traditional boiler to a heat pump, the answer to this question will be of great interest. In some cases, a heat pump may prove to be a superior alternative to your gas boiler. In other instances, it may prove to be a backwards step. Today the team at Chillaire are going to unpack this and look to settle the heat pump vs gas boiler debate.
These two systems are designed to produce the same result: they supply hot water and central heating to your home. They are, however, two quite contrasting technologies. With this in mind, some homes are better suited to one system than the other. The two systems work in the following way:
There are two types of heat pump on the market. Homeowners are able to buy air source or ground source systems. Whilst the two systems obtain heat from different sources, the process is similar. Heat is captured and put into a liquid refrigerant where it is then compressed to increase the temperature. It is condensed back into a liquid, the stored heat is released which is then transferred to radiators and underfloor heating systems. The remainder can be stored for use with showers, baths or taps.
A gas boiler is a more traditional system of supplying hot water and heat to a property. Hot, gas powered jets interact with a heat exchanger that helps to heat water which is then pushed through your central heating system via an electric pump.
If you are wondering which system wins the heat pump vs gas boiler debate, there are a number of factors to consider. First let us look at some of the technical aspects of both systems. A boiler has an average system temperature of around 70°C. Heat pumps, on the other hand, operate at around 35-45°C. What this means is that in a property with an existing system, it is likely that your radiators will need to be replaced with higher output versions. Your system will ultimately need to be compatible with your heat pump installation, including the pipework, which can be costly.
The lower operating temperatures means that heat pumps may therefore be better suited to new, well insulated properties. Boilers are better at heating a space quicker in a less efficient building as the heat from heat pump’s is lower and more gradual. If your building is poorly insulated, it will ultimately be more difficult and costly for your heat pump to run.
So, what about the costs? Well, there is a price to pay for having a cleaner system such as a heat pump. On a new property, air source installation costs range between £8000-16,000. This rises significantly if it is an older property, and ground source systems can go for as much as £27,000. Conversely, a gas boiler will likely cost you in the region of £1500 to £3500. So, are heat pumps better than boilers? From a cost perspective, you could certainly argue they are not. However, it is not that straightforward. Let us now look at the benefits you can reap from installing a heat pump system.
When considering a heat pump vs a gas boiler, there is another side to the conversation. Firstly, electric air source heat pumps use produce significantly less emissions than conventional gas boilers. We are moving towards a society in which we actively try to produce less emissions, so this type of system will help you align with this shift. After all, anything that is better for the environment is ultimately better for us all.
From a cost perspective too, heat pump systems may offer better running costs long term than what you can expect from your gas boiler system. Although the upfront costs are, to some people, huge, there are a number of government grants and schemes that have been created to support people that wish to install these systems. Previously the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme was set up to support this. This has now ended, but there are grants and support aimed at the non domestic sector being created all the time. We encourage property owners to assess their options as support may be available.
If you are wondering ‘’Are heat pumps better than boilers?’’, you will see from the article that the answer is not straightforward. When people ask this question, they are usually trying to determine which system is better for their property. As installers of both heat pump and gas power heat systems, we can assure you that it will depend on your circumstances and property.
If you have a newer property and some money to support the installation, a heat pump offers a cleaner, healthier and longer lasting alternative to your conventional gas boiler. The reality is, those with less disposable income may need to find alternative ways to heat their property. If you require air source heat pumps for office heating systems and hot water, contact us today.
The summer is nearly over and the requirement for air conditioning tends to traditionally fade away as people’s perception of air conditioning systems is that it’s for the summer season and for cooling only. However, this perception is slowly changing as people are starting to realise the benefit of Air Source Heat Pump systems (ASHP).
Heat Pump Air Conditioning Systems can provide comfort all year round providing cooling in summer and heating in winter. Using heat pump air conditioning split systems for individual offices or retail units can provide cooling in summer and heating in winter at much more cost effectively in most cases compared to traditional gas fired heating, such as boilers or electrical heating.
For large commercial applications such as multi-office complexes, sports gyms or hotels the VRV or VRF heat pump air conditioning system would provide ideal cooling in summer and heating in winter at very good running costs and initial installation may work out cheaper as well compared to traditional heating systems that would be considered at the time.
Air source heat pumps are a renewable energy technology that take warmth from the air outside (even when it’s freezing) and use it to heat internal space such as offices or retail units, air source heat pumps are suitable for a wider range of properties.
Air source heat pumps use the same type of technology that keeps your fridge cold, but in reverse. A liquid refrigerant that has a very low boiling point is pumped on a loop between two heat exchangers. This refrigerant takes on heat energy from the outside ambient air temperature and turns into a gas as it warms up. This gas is then compressed back into a liquid, which increases its temperature further. The warm refrigerant then goes through a heat exchanger, which transfers the warmth to a separate body of air circulating around a room or water for circulating round the central heating system. During the final stage the liquid refrigerant goes through an expansion valve reducing the pressure and temperature and the cycle repeats.
Coefficient of Performance or COP is why heat pumps are a useful technology: if you put 1kWh of energy into a system you will get more than 1kWh of heat energy out. Typically a heat pump has a maximum CoP of 2 or 3, meaning for 1kWh of electricity you will get 2 or 3 kWh’s of heat, in some cases it can be even more.
Variable refrigerant flow (VRF), also known as variable refrigerant volume (VRV), is an HVAC technology invented by Daikin Industries. The alternative system supplied by other manufacturers is the Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system.
These VRV / VRF refrigerant heat pump air conditioning systems can supply cooling and heating in large quantities using single or multiple condensing units (which may be located outdoors or indoors, water or air cooled) and is circulate the cooling and heating within a building to multiple indoor units in multiple areas / offices. VRV or VRF systems, unlike conventional chiller or LPHW -based systems, allow for varying degrees of cooling or heating in only certain areas, reducing energy consumption.
VRV & VRFs are typically installed with an air conditioner inverter which adds a DC inverter to the compressor in order to support variable motor speed and thus variable refrigerant volume or variable refrigerant flow rather than simply perform on/off operation. By operating at varying speeds, VRV & VRF units work only at the needed rate allowing for substantial energy savings at load conditions.
Heat recovery VRV & VRF technology allows individual indoor units to heat or cool as required, while the compressor load benefits from the internal heat recovery. Energy savings of up to 55% are predicted over comparable unitary equipment. This also results in greater control of the building’s interior temperature by the building’s occupants.
VRV & VRF systems come in two system formats, two pipe and three pipe systems. In a heat pump two pipe system all of the zones must either be all in cooling or all in heating. Heat Recovery (HR) systems have the ability to simultaneously heat certain zones while cooling others; this is usually done through a three pipe design, with the exception of some brands, whose systems are able to do this with a two pipe system using a branch circuit (BC) controller to the individual indoor evaporator zones. In this case the heat extracted from zones requiring cooling is put to use in the zones requiring heating. This is made possible because the heating unit is functioning as a condenser, providing sub-cooled liquid back into the line that is being used for cooling. While the heat recovery system has a greater initial cost, it allows for better zoned thermal control of a building and overall greater efficiencies.
In heat recovery VRV & VRF systems, some of the indoor units may be in cooling mode while others are in heating mode, reducing energy consumption. If the coefficient of performance in cooling mode of a system is 3, and the coefficient of performance in heating mode is 4, then heat recovery performance can reach more than 7. While it is unlikely that this balance of cooling and heating demand will happen often throughout the year, energy efficiency can be greatly improved when the scenario occurs.
VRV & VRF systems may be air or water cooled. If air cooled, VRV & VRF condensing units are exposed to outside air and may be outdoors, and condensing units are the size of large refrigerators, since they need to contain a large condenser (heat exchanger) to transfer heat to the surrounding air, because air doesn’t have a high heat capacity. If water cooled, the condensing units are placed indoors and are much smaller and cooled, using water, possibly by a cooling tower.
Chillaire Limited can design, supply and install air source heat pump air conditioning systems for individual areas, offices or retails units using wall mounted, ceiling mounted our ducted indoor fan coil units.
We also supply Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV or Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems for large buildings or multi office / area or complex to provide cooling and heating to individual areas at the same time with energy saving costs.
Call Chillaire Limited today to assist you with your Air Source Heat Pump Split System or VRV or VRF Air Source Heat Pump multi system. From initial site survey, design, supply, installation, warranty and future planned maintenance with 24 hour service.
We have offices throughout central England:
