ACR Journal

CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk 41 HEAT PUMPS whilst R32 is undoubtedly a greener solution than R410A, the likely level of growth for the heat pump market means that it will be unacceptable under F-Gas standards with some predictions stating as early as 2024-26. By using R290 instead of R32 in our aroTHERM plus, not only is the heat pump protected from the reduced availability of HFC refrigerants in the years to come, but it will also make a bigger contribution towards the country’s target to reach net-zero by 2050. What’s more, heat pumps which utilise natural refrigerants such as R290 are able to use less volume per kW, allowing them to achieve the same, or greater results than counterparts, more e‰ciently. More hot water The other key reason why R290 is a better choice is its ability to deliver more hot water to the hot water cylinder and at point of use. Most heat pumps with R32 as the refrigerant can only handle flow temperatures of up to 65oC in a hot water system. This means that a back-up heater (direct electric immersion heater) is required in the hot water cylinder to store the hot water above 60oC – the point at which legionella bacteria is killed o’. The lower flow temperature also results in less useable hot water in the tank. The performance envelope of R290 allows the Vaillant aroTHERM plus to get hot water at 75oC straight from the heat pump’s refrigerant circuit, so that the water in the hot water cylinder will be 70oC without the use of a direct electric immersion heater to protect residents from legionella. This results in a more e’ective system which can deliver 376 litres of useable hot water - equivalent to about six standard showers*. Closing the skills gap With heating trends changing all the time and new regulations being introduced, it’s essential for installers to keep up to date. But currently, there are not enough qualified engineers to design and install the amount of low-carbon, or low to medium temperature heating systems needed to implement the expected increase in these technologies in forthcoming years. The HPA has estimated that a total of 69,500 installers would be needed by 2035 to deploy the amount of installations necessary in order for the UK to stay on track and achieve net-zero by 20501 We, along with other manufacturers, o’er a range of informative online courses to upskill installers and engineers about heat pumps and ‘green’ solutions. But these alone, are not enough. Engineers need a wide range of up-to-date skills, knowledge and competencies that reflect the latest technologies and standards to help them to design and install quality low-carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps, for their customers. That’s why government needs to encourage more investment in training, and all parties in both the refrigerant and heating industries need to work together to put in place relevant courses built on a robust qualification criteria and teaching framework. Trusted technology Due to the technology involved, many manufacturers of heat pumps started out as makers of air conditioning units. Vaillant on the other hand, evolved from being a gas boiler manufacturer. This means that we have spent 140 years working with combustible gases, and are in a strong position to deliver comfort in homes in an energy e‰cient, quiet, and safe way. Building on the technology of our aroTHERM split, we invested in further R&D for the aroTHERM plus to reduce sound levels even more. For example, we employed an acoustic camera for our test laboratory to locate sound emission sources. We also worked with two universities to identify frequency peaks and sounds that are annoying to the human ear. As a result of this work, we optimised the fan and air routing to minimise the amount of noise these produced. For the refrigerant circuit, we put in vibration dampers, packed it in a sound-insulating box and used hoses that stopped vibrations transferring to the pipework. The unit also has a raised floor to absorb vibrations. These are just some of the measures that have contributed to the aroTHERM plus’ super quietness. With a sound level of 36 dB(A) at a three-metre distance, it is now one of the quietest heat pumps available. Heat pumps are enabling consumers to heat their homes and generate hot water with zero carbon emissions at point of use. As a company which has been synonymous with heating solutions for 140 years, we are well-placed to use a di’erent refrigerant with a much lower GWP to truly deliver comfort without the carbon footprint. By also providing the right training to increase and develop skills across the refrigerant and heating industry, engineers, installers and manufacturers can all work together to implement heat pump technologies to meet the climate challenge. *Based on a standard 12 litres a minute shower for five minutes. Sources 1 https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/ uk-housing-fit-for-the-future/ 2 https://www.gov.uk/government/ consultations/the-future-homes- standard-changes-to-part-l-and-part- f-of-the-building-regulations-for-new- dwellings#:~:text=The%20Future%20 Homes%20Standard%20will,changes%20 to%20the%20Building%20Regulations.

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