HEAT PUMPS


■ Studies: feasibility and engineering studies to guide investment


Zero carbon


Heat pumps can eliminate the need for gas altogether. They are also a zero-carbon technology when charged with natural refrigerants such as ammonia and powered by renewable sources such as solar PV, hydro turbines, or wind turbines. Switching from gas heating to heat pumps powered by renewable electricity enables businesses to reduce carbon emissions from their heating systems, contributing to broader decarbonisation eff orts and net-zero commitments. Additionally, heat pumps eliminate the need for


Case study schematic


Since a large proportion of the closed-loop cooling duty is related to product heating, the two duties are coincident. So a signifi cant saving can be made by serving them both from the same refrigerating system. The CIP load is much less frequent but requires a signifi cantly higher instantaneous load. This is reduced using a hot water buff er system, which is charged and discharged during normal operation. This enables the heating requirement to be better matched to the cooling load. Using a buff er system like this also allows the rate of heat supply to the process to be far higher than the rate of heat recovery from the refrigeration system, provided the total volume supplied does not exceed the buff er capacity and the recovery time between discharges is suffi ciently long.


The installation formed part of a larger site


refurbishment that included replacing coal-fi red boilers with gas burners and removing a bank of air-cooled chillers. The project, therefore, delivered several environmental goals, including reducing emissions and removing high GWP refrigerants, as well as signifi cantly increasing cooling and heating effi ciency.


A feasibility study demonstrates energy and cost savings of heat pumps for food manufacturing.


Funding


There are several routes for funding the installation of heat pumps, depending on specifi c business requirements. Government funding generally helps support industrial sites with high energy use to transition to a low-carbon future, enabling: ■ Reduction in energy consumption by investing in more effi cient technologies.


■ Reducing carbon emissions by reducing the costs and risks associated with investing in decarboni- sation technologies.


Funding is available for: ■Energy Effi ciency technology deployment projects ■Decarbonisation technology deployment projects


separate gas boilers and chillers, which substantially lowers emissions and operating costs. The technology itself mirrors that of a


refrigeration system. It uses compressors and heat exchangers to deliver a combination of heating and cooling simultaneously.


Maintenance


Ensuring the long-term reliability and effi ciency of industrial heat pumps requires a structured approach to maintenance and remote data analysis. A combination of scheduled maintenance and data- driven optimisation can help maximise effi ciency at intended operating conditions and prevent operational issues. Integrating manual maintenance with AI-enabled data analysis technology allows for continuous assessment of system effi ciency. By applying live site data to a ‘dynamic digital twin’ of the heat pump, businesses can compare actual performance against optimal conditions, detect performance gaps and undertake corrective actions to prevent faults or energy wastage. Smart optimisation technology can also predict energy consumption trends and assess potential maintenance or operational scenarios to maximise effi ciency and reduce downtime.


Next steps As environmental and cost pressures grow across


all industries, staying ahead and future-proofi ng operations are becoming more vital than ever. As the Food and Drink Federation Guide, Achieving Net Zero, states: ‘Climate strategy is becoming core business strategy’ Heat pumps off er organisations an opportunity


to reduce operational costs, increase effi ciency and gain a competitive edge in the market. Within industry, they allow for highly effi cient business expansion, which means that facilities can substantially increase production without major infrastructure upgrades.


Download the ACR News app today


www.acr-news.com • May 2025 13


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44