HEAT PUMPS
The factory of the future
Sean Hurley H
Sean Hurley, senior sales manager at Star Refrigeration, provides a step-by-step guide to choosing the correct heat pump and maintenance package for an industrial application.
eat pumps are a key technology that helps power the pathway towards net-zero heating emissions. This is particularly the case for the industrial sector, where heat pumps can also deliver substantial effi ciency improvements by repurposing heat from existing site processes. This article deals with the practical aspects of upgrading a factory or processing facility from the use of gas (or oil) boilers that operate separately from the cooling system to using energy-effi cient heat pumps that combine both cooling and heating. Using heat pump technology in industrial
contexts provides effi ciencies that are beyond the range of gas boilers, which typically operate at anywhere between 40% and 85% effi ciency. By contrast, heat pumps can deliver 300% or higher effi ciencies and, where used for combined heating and cooling, can be engineered to deliver effi ciencies fi ve to ten times greater than conventional systems. They can also reduce the system’s complexity – instead of having a chiller and a boiler, only a heat pump is needed. But how do you know what heat pump and set-up are right for your business? Each facility’s requirements are unique, and there is no ‘one size fi ts all’ heat pump for the many diff erent industrial processes involved in the food and beverage, dairy, bakery, brewing, distilling, paper, meat processing, chemical, leisure, and pharmaceutical sectors. This article off ers a guide to assessing businesses’ individual processes and choosing the right heat pump and maintenance package for your requirements.
Industrial applications With the cost of wholesale energy having risen
by a colossal 166% since 2018, an effi cient setup which minimises energy use and reduces waste and operating costs has never been more crucial. Heat pumps off er businesses a practical solution for long-term decarbonisation. By capturing and repurposing waste heat that would otherwise be lost, heat pumps provide both heating and cooling
10 May 2025 •
www.acr-news.com Factory of the past
Factory of the future
Often, the only
downside is the initial cost of investment.
within a single system. They help minimise energy consumption and can replace or supplement conventional gas-fi red heating systems. Combining cooling and heating processes with a heat pump and removing the need for gas, oil, or electric boilers can deliver effi ciencies of up to 800% in specifi c processes where cooling provides great capacities. Poultry processing facilities using heat pumps for hot water and space heating have the potential to achieve energy and cost savings of up to 60%. Heat pumps have the added benefi t of delivering precise temperature control and can
enhance product quality and fl avour in processes where consistency is critical, such as bakeries’ pre- proofi ng and fermentation processes, brewing and distillation, or in the chemical sector’s distillation and crystallisation processes, for enhanced separation effi ciency. As businesses work towards reducing their
environmental impact, heat pumps provide a proven and scalable technology that aligns with energy effi ciency goals and net-zero commitments.
Costs and benefi ts The arguments for heat pumps are numerous,
from lowered operating costs and streamlined system designs to increased effi ciency and reduced emissions for achieving Net Zero targets. Often, the only downside is the initial cost of investment. Looking at the business process as a whole can bring tangible benefi ts in terms of return on
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