Heat pumps Getting ahead of the competition


• Be approved: 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. • Work closely with your manufacturer of choice: Make the most of materials and resources on offer from your manufacturer who, after all, is the expert in the technologies you are installing. Manufacturers can also support with training, system design and marketing materials – and nowhere is this more important than in the area of controls. • Consider other technologies: Heat pumps can be combined with other renewable technologies to deliver substantial cost savings and cut emissions, such as solar thermal technology which can provide as much as 60 per cent of a building's annual hot water demand. Look out for pre-built packages, which can include everything you need to install a truly integrated heating solution.


A Dimplex LA 40 AS Heat Pump Room


Recent changes to the non-domestic RHI have really opened doors to the heat pump industry


were included from the birth of the scheme, but it was not until recent changes were made that the non- domestic RHI really began to open doors for the heat pump industry. In May 2014, air source heat pumps were included in the scheme for the first time with a tariff of 2.5p/kWh. At the same time, the tariffs for renewable heat generated by ground source heat pumps were also increased with split tariffs of 8.7p/kWh for the first 1,314 hours of operation and 2.6p/kWh for any operation over 1,314 hours.


The changes were well received by the industry and with the right promotion from DECC, manufac- turers and installers alike, it has great potential to facilitate com- mercial installations. However, whilst the non- domestic RHI can help with the first of the barriers I mentioned, it is down to the innovation of man- ufacturers to ease the issue of


complex technology. Phase one of the Energy Saving Trust’s heat pump trial (2008 – 2010) stated that heating controls for heat pump installations must be com- prehensively reviewed as there had been a failure to explain proper control requirements to both installers and heat pump customers. Phase two of the trial (2008 to 2013) also showed that although overall satisfaction with the warmth and comfort provided by a heat pump was very high, many users have difficulty under- standing the instructions for oper- ating and using their heat pump. Although these studies specifically relate to domestic applications, the same issues have been identi- fied in the commercial sector too. Crucially, the same report also recognised that those users which best understood their system achieved the greatest perform- ance. The recommendation from EST is for heat pump users to dis- cuss their system and how to use it with their MCS installer, but it is also important to recognise some leading manufacturers have taken the feedback on board and simpli- fied the solution through improved technology.


Dimplex’s LA TU range of high


efficiency commercial air source heat pumps, for example, uses a variant of the WPM heat pump manager to monitor, regulate and control the entire heating system. Internally wall mounted, the heat


Daily news update at www.heatingandventilating.net


pump manager makes life easier for the user by controlling up to three heating circuits, each individually programmed by the installer, together with any supplementary heating sources and the defrost cycle. This ensures that the system operates with max- imum flexibility and efficiency – with ease and convenience for those operating it.


The innovation and evolution of


modern heat pump technology has transformed the way in which they are positioned. No longer a


complex, difficult technology, advancements like Dimplex’s WPM heat pump manager have ensured that heat pumps can offer simple controls and flexible performance alongside their cost- saving capabilities. And with the added promise of Government funding to help with the cost of installation, now is the time to promote the benefits of heat pump technology.


// The author is the renewables marketing director at Dimplex //


Heat pump road show


Kensa Heat Pumps is taking to the roads of Britain this Autumn and Winter to help installers demystify the RHI and unearth the mysteries of ground source heat pumps.


The road show begins in September and runs throughout October and November, re-com- mencing after the heating season in February and March 2015. It aims to help challenge and unmask misconceptions and myths of heat pump technology,


alongside a general look at the renewable industry itself and the impact the Renewable Heat Incentive may have on installers’ customer bases, and ultimately their businesses. Taking in both rural and urban locations the road show will provide targeted events to both non-MCS/Oftec installers and MCS installers. Visit Kensa’s events page at www.kensaheatpumps.com/eve nts for more details.


Renewable recruitment


A renewable energy industry recruitment company has been launched to match the sector’s most successful businesses with the best talent. Hyperion Executive Search acts for clients and candidates across a compre- hensive range of renewable energy sub-sectors including solar PV, solar thermal, heat pumps, biomass, wind turbines and fuel cells.


Specific disciplines the firm


recruits for include general and senior management, sales and business development, opera- tions and logistics, marketing, finance and asset management, design and installation at a senior level.


Managing partner David Hunt, said: “We offer clients either a retained search solution or a contingent search solution, depending on their require- ments.”


HVR | October 2014 | 37


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