HEATING SNAPSHOT TING SNAPSHOT
Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan goes quiet
On the tenth anniversary of launching the Ecodan heat pump, Mitsubishi Electric has launched the Ultra Quiet Ecodan.
T
he Ultra Quiet Ecodan air source heat pumps are available in 8.5kW and 11.2kW sizes with sound levels that are three times quieter than previous models, virtually eliminating planning restrictions. Designed specifi cally for residential applications, these models off ers energy
effi ciency and low sound levels which enable almost any home to benefi t from high performance, renewable heating.
“People’s awareness of the environment is rising,” says president M-ACE Yoshihiro Sumida, “which is leading to the expansion of use of heat pumps.” It is generally acknowledged that air source heat pumps will reduce reliance on oil and fossil fuels, with signifi cant in-roads already made into eradicating heating oil. Training is key as installing heat pumps diff ers from installing
boilers with the biggest challenge being correct sizing. On the other hand, with Ecodan, R410A is pre-charged inside a hermetically sealed system, which means that it doesn’t need any F-Gas certifi cation to install. “The government has already recognised how important air source heat pumps will be for the future of low carbon heating in the UK and is forecasting one million sales a year by 2030,” says Max Halliwell, product manager for the company’s renewable heating systems. “One of the key areas that will aff ect adoption of these energy-saving systems is noise which is why permitted development exists and these new units are designed specifi cally to overcome any issues with noise.” In the residential environment, sound is important because low sound increases the fl exibility of where a heat pump can be positioned. To ensure neighbours aren’t disturbed, Permitted Development requires sound levels to meet certain limitations, with the sound pressure level not exceeding 42 decibels, dB(A) when measured at a point one metre away from the neighbour’s nearest door or window. The 8.5kW Ultra Quiet Ecodan has a sound power level of only 58 dB(A) which is an 8 dB(A) drop over the model it replaces. It also has a sound pressure level of just 45 dB(A) at one metre.
Sound power can be thought of as the cause of a noise or the total sound energy emitted by a source in all directions, whereas sound pressure is the eff ect or the sound we hear and this is determined by the environment and by the distance from the source of sound. We think of this as the intensity or loudness of a sound. An ambulance registers 120 dB(A) whereas a vacuum cleaner registers around 73 dB(A) and typical room conversation comes in at around 60 dB(A). “With a sound pressure level of just 45 dB(A), the new Ecodan is whisper-quiet, with levels just above that of a library, meaning it will pass the Permitted Development requirements easily and can be installed almost anywhere to suit the homeowner,” explains Mr Halliwell. “This is a result of a decade of manufacturing Ecodan in Scotland and we have used this knowledge and experience to refi ne Ecodan and design it specifi cally for UK residential use.”
Innovations in fan and compressor design have enabled the units to achieve such low levels of sound whilst increasing performance and effi ciency. Both models in the range (PUHZ-W85VAA and PUHZ-112VAA) are A++ ErP rated and also available with coastal protection for areas where they can be exposed to saline.
46 June 2018
www.acr-news.com
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