HEAT PUMPS
All set for growth – air source heat pumps
Air source heat pumps look set to play a major role in helping the country achieve its net zero carbon emission targets, explains Anna Wakefield, head of marketing for Grant UK.
T
he Government has set out its plans for the Future Homes Standard, which will require new build homes to be future- proofed with low carbon heating – such as heat pumps - and it will be introduced by 2025. The Future Homes Standard was the first stage of a two-part consultation which proposed an ambitious uplift in the energy efficiency of new homes through changes to Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations. The second stage is the Future Buildings Standard, which builds on the Future Homes Standard consultation by setting out energy and ventilation standards for non-domestic buildings, existing homes and includes proposals to mitigate against overheating in residential buildings. Both consultations will have an impact on the number of heat pumps installed in England and Wales and as such, Grant are ready to support contractors on their journey towards Net Zero. For any acr contractor looking to diversify and move into heat pumps, we strongly recommend that engineers complete full product installation training before specifying and fitting the technology. Grant offers comprehensive courses at its Academies in Devizes, Hawes and Livingston, as well as online tuition via the Grant eLearning Academy.
Sizing and design
It is essential to start any heat pump installation with a full room by room heat loss calculation to determine the heat pump required to meet the design conditions for the property concerned. A heat loss accounts for the room sizes, the insulation levels of both the walls and windows, as well as the height of the rooms. The calculation brings together the amount of space that needs heating along with the building’s materials and their capability to reduce heat loss from the property. Grant has a Heat Loss Calculator tool that can be used for a more thorough analysis of
20 June 2021
the property’s needs, eliminating potential errors at quotation stage. Assistance with this is also available from Grant UK’s inhouse Design Team and through installations taking place via the G-Cert Scheme.
This particular scheme offers a solution to installers who want to install to MCS standards without formally registering with MCS themselves and takes care of all the paperwork and notifications, as well as commissioning and signing off the system for MCS approval. From the customer’s perspective, it is also vital to ensure the correct handover of the heating system so they understand how to use it both efficiently and effectively and, in particular, that they know the difference in controlling a low temperature underfloor heating system compared with a high temperature fossil fuel system using traditional radiators. It is important that older properties are suitably insulated and prepared before a heat pump installation is considered. Providing a site survey and full heat loss calculation is also carried out, a heat pump can be a suitable low carbon heating solution.
Prior to installation, the location for the heat pump should have already been determined taking into account the clearances required. Heat pumps do produce an amount of noise when operating particularly when the fan and compressor are running, but in the case of the Aerona³, Grant UK’s range of heat pumps, these sound levels are at the lower end of the scale with two of the models - the 13kW and 17kW having achieved the Quiet Mark, an accolade which recognises some of the quietest, high performing products in the market. All Grant heat pumps are MCS certified, so they are eligible for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme. The units also have an A+++ energy rating and high SCOP values, demonstrating their excellent efficiencies.
Heat emitters
Suitable heat emitters should be fitted throughout the house, having been specifically sized for the lower flow temperature of the heat pump system. To effectively transfer the heat from a low temperature heating system into the occupied living spaces within the home, heat emitters with larger surface areas tend to be the best partners for heat pumps. This is why underfloor heating is a popular and effective choice for heat pump systems, especially in new build and retrofit projects where this type of emitter is smoothly integrated into the initial designs during the project’s in-depth planning stages.
There is no reason, however, why radiators cannot be used with a heat pump. Whilst the mean water temperature (MWT) in the radiators will be lower than with a gas or oil boiler system, the heating needs of each room can be met if radiators are sized using the lower Delta T (ΔT) that will exist between the radiator MWT and the design room temperature.
Often a new high-performance cylinder is installed with adequate hot water storage for the household’s needs. Typically, this has a larger indirect coil than a standard cylinder to effectively provide hot water with the lower flow temperature from the heat pump.
A full customer handover must also be given by the installer that covers information such as the importance of having the unit regularly serviced. Grant supports the installer through all of these processes and also provides merchants with packaged solutions, which means installers can order complete heat pump kit, including cylinders and heating emitters from their local merchant. What is clear is that there will be a huge growth in the installation of renewable technologies, such as heat pumps. Grant UK will always support its customers and will be with them on the journey to Net Zero Carbon.
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