Heat Pumps 29
Seven things you need to know about ASHP In the wake of the much-anticipated Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) announcement, Clare Campbell,
1. OFF-GAS opportunity
While gas-grid properties are eligible under the RHI, the real opportunity for installers where air source heat pumps are concerned is in off-gas grid retrofit projects. There are around 2.5m homes in the UK heated by oil, LPG and solid fuel and the latest 12kW and 16kW air source heat pumps can provide a cost-effective alternative for these homes, particularly larger, privately owned homes where customers are looking to reduce their hefty oil or LPG bills.
2. Pay back in just five years There is no doubt that customers are looking at renewable technologies to save money on their heating bills. The RHPP Phase 1 Customer Survey (DECC, 2011) reveals that 82% of consumers with renewable heat technology said rising fuel prices were the motivator for their investment.
With the RHI set to kick in next spring, householders can now install with confidence knowing they will be rewarded for the renewable heat they generate. The RHI will provide payments for renewable heat generated for a period of seven years and tariffs have been set at 7.3p/kWh for air source heat pumps and 18.8p/kWh for ground source heat pumps.
Importantly, it is the combination of the RHI payment and fuel cost savings that generates the attractive payback – something which installers need to be mindful of as this means that the efficiency and quality of the system (and installation) are vitally important in providing customers with a fast return on their investment.
3. Heat emitters are critical
Heat pumps work more efficiently the lower the water temperature and inevitably this means it is important to consider correct sizing of heat emitters when planning an installation.
The Heat Emitter Guide is an industry
document and has been created to demonstrate the efficiency of a heat pump system, illustrating the relationship between heat pump efficiency and water flow temperature using a Star Rating system. Emitters which can operate at lower temperatures optimise the performance of the heat pump and, as a result, will mean more stars in the Heat Emitter Guide. Conventional radiators need a higher water temperature and underfloor heating is not always practical for retrofits, so low temperature, fan-assisted radiators such as Dimplex SmartRad are becoming increasingly popular, maximising system performance for a far smaller footprint than conventional radiators.
4. Higher efficiency earns bigger rewards DECC’s recent RHI announcement includes confirmation that payment for heat pumps will be based only on the renewable portion of the heat they produce. Together with additional funding for metering and monitoring, this will encourage end users and installers to focus on higher quality, higher efficiency systems which can benefit from both a larger RHI payment and better savings on running costs. It has never been more important to look for a good quality, high efficiency heat pump from a reputable manufacturer.
5. Size matters
The MCS heat pump installer standard, MIS3005, is designed to ensure the quality and consistency of heat pump installations in the UK and the RHI requires compliance in order for any installation to be eligible. Among the updates made to MIS3005 in March 2012 was a ‘100 per cent’ sizing rule which means all heat pumps must be capable of meeting the full heating load down to a specified minimum outside temperature without the use of supplementary electric heaters. This is especially important for the sizing and selection of air source heat pumps, where the output often reduces as the air temperature drops, to prevent high running costs by over reliance on electric back up heating. Unfortunately it means installers are often forced to ‘oversize’ the system in order to meet the full heating load. Only the latest models from leading manufacturers, such as Dimplex with our new A Class air source heat pump, can offer a full rated output at low air temperature and high water temperature to prevent the need for oversizing.
6. Designed to work alongside other renewable technologies
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product marketing manager for Dimplex Renewables, lists seven things you should know about air source heat pumps to capitalise on a growing market for renewables
Air source heat pumps are incredibly sophisticated products which have a large part to play in the future of heating in the UK. Future-proof, intelligent and with the ability to feed back into the grid, they can also be combined with other renewable technologies to deliver substantial cost savings and cut emissions.
Solar thermal technology, for example, offers a low carbon hot water solution and can provide as much as 60% of a building’s annual hot water demand. It can be combined with a heat pump system to offer a complete renewable energy solution for space and hot water heating. And with solar thermal also eligible for RHI funding, customers can get a double RHI benefit from both their heat pump and solar system. Look out for pre-built packages, which can give installers everything they need to integrate heat pump and solar thermal technology.
7. Get yourself trained
To access RHI, installers will have to be MCS approved. It is also vitally important to not only attend generic technology training offered by commercial training providers, but also to be trained by your equipment manufacturer of choice – who, after all, are the experts in the technologies and can relay the specific requirements for their individual properties. Nowhere is this more important that in the area of controls. Manufacturers can also support with correct sizing and system design.
ACR News November 2013
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