ACR Journal

October | November 2020 Volume 6 No.6 40 HEAT PUMPS With the introduction of schemes such as the Green Homes Grant and upcoming changes to building regulations as part of the Future Homes Standard, there is no doubt that heat pumps are set to play a significant role in the journey towards decarbonising heat in our homes. As traditional refrigerants used for this technology are being phased out, Steve Keeton, Training and Technologies Director at Vaillant, explains how the company has developed its aroTHERM plus to offer a long-term solution. Homes – both new and existing – account for 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK1. To reduce the carbon footprint of our homes, the UK Government has committed to introducing a Future Homes Standard by 2025, which includes plans to phase out fossil-fuel heating from all new homes in favour of heat pumps and other low carbon technologies2. By then, we will reach the next milestone in the phase-down of gases as dictated in the F-Gas regulations. Although the two pieces of legislation are separate, their combination has opened up a unique opportunity for Vaillant – which is more well-known as a boiler manufacturer – to introduce a di†erent refrigerant to the heat pump market to deliver comfort in people’s homes whilst minimising their carbon footprint. Phase-down of refrigerants While it is commonly understood that heat pumps are a green solution, there are di†ering environmental impacts and operating e‰ciencies of the various refrigerants in use within heat pumps on the market today. Historically, the most commonly used heat pump refrigerant was R410A, but with a GWP (Global Warming Potential) of 2088, it is currently being phased out of the market under the F-gas regulation. As a result, some manufacturers are now turning to R32 for their heat pumps. However, this substance has a GWP of 675. So, every tonne of R32 released into the atmosphere has the same greenhouse gas e†ect as 675 tonnes of CO2. As a manufacturer of heating rather than cooling appliances, Vaillant is able to go down a di†erent route - using R290 in the aroTHERM plus. A better alternative R290 is the technical name for the natural refrigerant also known as propane. It is already commonly used in many parts of our daily life, such as in refrigerators, air conditioning or even hairspray. It has a GWP of 3 – 225 times lower than R32, and 696 times less than R410a. Every tonne of R290 used is equivalent to only 3 tonnes of carbon emissions from CO2, resulting in a much lower carbon footprint. By the time the Future Home Standard comes into e†ect, the total amount of emissions equivalent to CO2 allowed will only be 31% compared to the baseline, with a further reduction to 21% in 2030. So, The long game…