Heat Pumps Today

www.acrjournal.uk/heat-pumps 17 T R A I N I N G Hybrid heat pumps combine the familiarity of a gas boiler with the performance of an air source heat pump, and automatically run in the cheapest mode available, whether that’s gas, electricity or a combination of the two. And this has real potential to help fuel-poor households manage fuel price increases. The systems are ideal for smaller homes in urban areas, that are likely to have a combi-boiler, and where the shell of the building is not energy-e cient enough to rely on electricity alone. They can be set to control which heat source comes on when, and can be adjusted over time to use more and more green energy, as the fabric of the building is upgraded to become more energy-e cient. We estimate that there are 1.1 million homes across the country that would be well-served by a hybrid system. Hybrid heat pump systems can reduce CO 2 emissions by as much as 55%[2] compared to a traditional gas boiler and have been proven to deliver up to a 50% reduction in energy bills in homes in the UK[3] (long before the price of gas started rising in recent weeks). The Daikin Altherma hybrid heat pump’s compact design means it only requires minimal installation space. Built to integrate seamlessly with your existing piping and radiators, it’s perfect for renovation projects or replacing your old boiler. for homeowners, there’s a heat pump to suit almost any type and size of home, and to meet varying end user demands for performance, e ciency and energy savings. A typical air source heat pump is more than three times as e cient as a gas boiler (350% vs 90%). Putting 1kW of gas into a boiler gives you 0.9kW of heat, whereas putting 1kW of electricity into an air source heat pump gives you around 3.5kW of heat. And, typically powered by 80% air and just 20% electricity, a typical air-to-water heat pump will generate 45% fewer carbon emissions compared to a gas boiler – a reduction of up to 43.5 tonnes of carbon emissions per home, over a system’s typical 15-year life span. Air-to-water heat pumps are the most practical solution for UK homes, as they distribute heat via the most commonly-used wet central heating systems. A key transitional technology We understand though, that not everyone is ready to go 100% electric, which is where hybrid heat pump solutions come in. We look forward to finding out whether hybrids are going to be covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. For homeowners and installers who are new to renewable heating technology, hybrid heat pumps can be a great steppingstone – but they’ve arguably been somewhat overlooked in the green heating conversation to date. Time to upskill Current industry estimates predict that up to 7,500 new installers will need to be trained in each of the next four years, increasing to around 15,000 per year for the five years after that, to meet targets for heat pump installation[4]. It’s vital that installers don’t get left behind as traditional heating technologies are phased out. But we’re not just talking about avoiding a potential threat; upskilling to work with cleaner, greener – and more e cient – technologies is a real business opportunity. Training is vital, not just to meet end- user demand, but to ensure that every heat pump is installed to the highest standard. It’s essential that homeowners have a good experience during the installation process, and confidence in their heat pump solution in the weeks, months and years that follow. We’re doing our bit through the Daikin Sustainable Home Network; installers who join can benefit from free, hands-on-tools training at our industry-leading training centres around the UK, to develop their heat pump installation and commissioning expertise. And other benefits of joining the network include dedicated technical support, sales-ready leads, business support and special ožers. Heat pumps are not the technology of the future; they are the technology of today. Installers who embrace them now won’t just be future-proofing their business in the long-term – they can enjoy a competitive advantage locally and win new customers, while others catch up. Info www.daikin.co.uk .