Heat Pumps Today

April | May 2021 A D V E R T O R I A L 16 Delivering net-zero carbon buildings is one of the biggest environmental challenges we face. Darrel Birkett, MD of leading supplier Cool Designs, believes heat pumps have a vital role to play Heat Pumps Key to Net-zero Carbon Buildings For more details,contact CDL on: Tel: 01915 496 964 Email: sales@cooldesignsltd.co.uk Web: www.cdlweb.info The UK was the first country to adopt a legally-binding target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. With heating responsible for one third of emissions, achieving this will require a total transformation of both technology and national infrastructure. The answer is likely to come from a combination of existing and emerging low carbon technologies. In this mix, heat pumps have a crucial role to play, believes Darrel Birkett, managing director of leading distributor Cool Designs Ltd. “Heat pumps have a huge thermodynamic advantage, as they harness low-grade heat energy from the environment and industry, and upgrade it into a useful form to heat and cool homes and businesses. “While the most efficient forms of traditional heating only approach COPs of less than one, today’s heat pumps can achieve COPs many times this. As a result, heat pumps generate several times more energy than they consume, far outstripping competing technologies.” He adds: “This, coupled with the fact heat pumps are proven technology, sets them apart among competing low carbon solutions. I believe they will play a huge role in helping us meet the nation’s carbon reduction targets, and are key to delivering net-zero carbon buildings in the future.” The company offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of heat pumps available from a single UK supplier. With its longstanding relationship with Toshiba Carrier UK, CDL’s offering spans residential, light commercial and commercial systems, covering air-source, water-source and ground-source systems, and suitable for use in all sizes of project, from domestic up to large-scale industrial applications. The highly regarded Toshiba Estia range of air-source heat pumps is available in split and monobloc form, the latter enabling installation by non-specialist contractors without refrigeration training or F-Gas certification. Estia splits are available in capacities from 4kW to 16kW, while Estia monobloc’s span 17 to 21kW. The units are ideal for use in both new-build projects and retrofit applications, and can be used with a range of terminal units – including under-floor heating, fan coil units, and conventional low temperature radiators. Sister company CIAT’s proven Ereba air-to-water reversible heat pumps are designed for heating and cooling applications in new and existing residential projects, with larger units suitable for small commercial applications such as shops, offices and dental surgeries. Ereba units can be used with low to medium temperature emitters, and high temperature emitters for use as a boiler back-up. Capacities span 4 to 17kW, with the larger Ereba Access range extending up to 40kW for use in small commercial applications. Further up the capacity spectrum, CDL offers CIAT’s Aquaciat Caleo (pictured below) medium capacity heat pumps, available from 20 to 100kW, which deliver high temperature water up to 65°C for heating large homes, multiple occupancy buildings, and small commercial projects, such as hotels and healthcare. The largest units in CDL’s CIAT heat pump range are the Aquaciat series. Now available on the lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant R-32, the range covers heating capacities from 170 to 270KW, and cooling capacities of 165-265KW. The lower GWP refrigerant combined with high efficiency components has reduced the environmental impact (Tonne- equivalent CO 2 ) by almost 80per cent compared to the previous generation, which itself was highly efficient. At the top of the application size range, the company recently added Carrier’s new AquaSnap range of R-32 heat pumps. Based on high efficiency scroll compressors, the units cover heating capacities from 170 to 530kW, and cooling capacities from 160 to 500kW, making them suitable for use in large commercial offices, retail, hotels and leisure, hospitals, education, and public buildings. For even higher efficiency AquaSnap can be specified with Carrier’s award-winning Greenspeed inverter-controlled water pump, and with partial heat recovery that enables generation of free hot water.