Heat Pumps Today

° Bullets "PULLQUOTE" (AHUs), for example, which are generally served by a separate CT circuit and with coils that are relatively easy to swap from high to low temperature (access problems aside). In many non-domestic buildings, the AHU load can account for a significant proportion of the heating load, greater than other circuits. So utilising heat pumps to decarbonise a large chunk of the heating demand, is a positive step to improved sustainability in a phased approach. Ultimately, the goal is to transition to low carbon heating technology such as heat pumps. Reflecting this, government funding is mostly limited to full electrification of heat – helping scale up the heat pump market and meet its ambitious target of 600,000 units a year by 2028. However, in hard to heat buildings, where project and budget constraints currently rule out an all-electric approach as a feasible option, an alternative might be to consider multivalent methods of heat and hot water generation. A multivalent approach cannot be overlooked as a first step in the heat decarbonisation process, especially when backed up by supporting data. Balancing act We know that while many organisations appreciate the long-term sustainability benefits of moving to low carbon heat, they are understandably concerned about Retrofit challenges What do we mean by retrofit challenges? Capital expenditure – tight budgets mean that organisations are frequently limited as to the extent to which they can adapt and retrofit their buildings. Without considerable funding, they typically won’t have endless budget to carry out all the work required to make the building net zero overnight. High air infiltration – many existing non-domestic buildings are draughty. For heat pumps to work most effectively, the building they are heating should be well insulated. Energy efficiency improvements should be implemented before making changes to the heating system. Available electricity supply – it is likely that additional power requirements will be required to site which will bring further cost implications. Circulating temperatures – older heating systems are likely to be designed and operated at either 82°C/71°C flow and return or 80°C/60°C flow and return temperatures while heat pumps perform best at lower temperatures. Additional changes will therefore be required before retrofitting heat pumps. Heat emitters – larger radiators may be required due to the lower circulating temperatures, bringing added costs. the immediate cost impact of funding the transition. This has been intensified by the need to protect their businesses from rocketing energy costs. The heating sector will be instrumental in providing guidance and support. Working together, we should encourage organisations to understand how and where their building is using energy. A key priority should be to maximise energy efficiency. The cleanest and cheapest kWh is, after all, the one we don’t use. We can also help them to identify their own achievable path to decarbonisation. While electrifying heat where possible should be always be the aim, this must not lead to solid design practice being replaced with ‘eco-bling’. Instead, where full decarbonisation is not currently an option, as identified by real data, multivalent solutions can have a valuable part to play in a phased approach. There may be no silver bullet solution for decarbonisation, but there is an established best practice approach. By using real data to plot and design the best roadmap, we can protect organisations from poor performance and set them and their buildings on the path to net zero. Remeha E-HP AWAir Source Heat Pumps Info www.remeha.co.uk 14 T R A I N I N G October | November 2022