Modern Building Services

FEATURE HEATING The role heat pump technology can play Heat pumps are at the heart of how we decarbonise. The Carbon Trust found that heat pumps have the potential to deliver CO2 savings of up to 70% compared to conventional electric heating, and up to 65% compared to an A-rated gas boiler. The government has also set a target of 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2030, and the Committee on Climate Change estimate that 19 million heat pumps will need to be installed by 2050 to achieve the net zero goal. To reach this goal, maintaining the momentum of heat pump uptake is critical. As well as offering renewable heating, heat pumps can reduce running costs and increase efficiencies. They are also becoming the first choice for building managers planning renovations because they are designed for both retro-fit and new build, are easy to design and install, and are scalable to work with other systems. This means they’re a suitable solution for almost any space, and are even able to work alongside existing heating systems in a hybrid situation if required. Picking the right heat pump for your heating requirements A heat pump is the ideal solution for commercial buildings, but it’s important to find the right one for the job. Since heat pumps first came onto the market, the choice and range has expanded, and building owners are now able to select exactly the right equipment for a building’s requirements. For example, heat pumps can now work at higher temperatures, so are a great option for buildings like hotels, hospitals, and leisure centres where there is a high demand for hot water at peak times, removing the need to use a gas boiler. Mixed use buildings are also becoming more and more popular in the UK, and they can benefit from heat pumps. Buildings which combine residential homes and commercial businesses will have a wide variety of heating and cooling requirements, and up to this point gas boilers, combined heat and power systems or electric water heating have met that need. Now, high temperature heat pumps – like the 40kW Ecodan QAHV – can deliver hot water up to 90°C, and support helping businesses to increase the efficiency of hot water production while cutting their carbon footprint. Other heat pumps offer options for a modular approach, so that multiple devices can operate in one system. This means that the multiple unit system can cascade available units on and off, to meet the required load of a building. These installations are also scalable and can work for a small doctor’s surgery through to entire district heating projects. Modern heat pumps can also be applied in buildings alongside other technologies and boost the renewable element of a project – reducing the requirement for heat energy. We’ve reached a crossroads on the climate where it is now imperative that all industries prioritise investing in renewable technology and push for net-zero. For those in the building services industry, there is a very real opportunity to lead the way and encourage their clients to take a new and more environmentally friendly approach to heating in commercial buildings. The heating equipment we install today will be in a building for at least a decade, so installing a heating systembased on fossil fuels might risk leaving the building as a ‘stranded asset’ in the future. Embracing renewable heating will help ensure buildings are meeting efficient and environmental standards both now and for years to come. CHOOSE Hamworthy’s Tyneham heat pump NEW FOR 2022 Compact monobloc air source heat pump with up to 4.85 COP and R32 refrigerant. Can be cascaded up to 490kW for commercial installations. hamworthy-heating.com enquiries@hamworthy-heating.com 01202 662500 6 MODELS 14 - 70kWOUTPUT