An air source heat pump ashp is a system that transfers heat from outside to inside a building or vice versa.
Air source heat pump plant room.
All air source heat pumps fitted today have to have energy labels on them providing information about efficiency.
In summary air source heat pumps really can t stack up as an alternative to their less expensive more efficient more reliable and durable cousin and the real question is the timescale for gas boilers to submit too.
The air source heat pump gets its energy from the surrounding air so as the ambient air temperature drops so does the efficiency.
Under the principles of vapor compression refrigeration an ashp uses a refrigerant system involving a compressor and a condenser to absorb heat at one place and release it at another.
Small scale chp plant rooms are often located in the basement or rooftop of buildings with strong mounting platform.
Boukhanouf in small and micro combined heat and power chp systems 2011.
Air source heat pump energy labels.
Commercial plant room ground source heat pump.
The bigger the difference between the outside air and the target temperature either the indoor room temperature or domestic hot water the lower the efficiency.
They re rated with a colour code system dark green means most efficient and red is least.
Room heat pumps and packaged heat pumps are charged with refrigerant at the factory and are seldom.
Other ways to cut energy costs.
When properly installed an air source heat pump can deliver one and a half to three times more heat energy to a home than the electrical energy it consumes.
On one hand ground source heat pumps require a large portion of your garden to be dug up however the efficiency of the heat pump will more than make up for it in the long run.
On the other hand air source systems require very little room comparatively because they absorb heat from the air.
They can be used as a space heater or cooler and are sometimes called reverse cycle air.
The heat generated by the pump comes from the air that passes through the heat exchanger with a temperature drop of about 2 to 3c and from the electricity that drives the pump.
It does lose out on efficiency to the ground source.
In common with boilers adequate volumetric flow rates of ambient air is drawn in from an outdoor intake to the plant room for combustion and ventilation of the plant room.