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HEAT PUMP GUIDE
Cascade control saves energy, time and cost
Energy management, cost, and time efficiency are all key to creating a more sustainable building and reducing running costs. Tony Nielsen, UK marketing manager for Panasonic looks at how heat pumps with cascade control are being increasingly utilised across many sectors to deliver more sustainable and efficient heating and cooling capabilities
G
iven the above factors, manufacturers such as Panasonic are continually investing heavily in R&D and bringing out new solutions for the
heating and cooling industry. For example, Panasonic recently introduced the Aquarea range of air source heat pumps that uses R32 (a lower GWP refrigerant) that offers a greener alternative, increased energy efficient performance and cost savings. For larger premises and projects such as care
homes, supermarkets and hotels, developers, architects and installers are looking for new advances in technology to make use of parallel-connected heat pumps to meet peak demands, modulate energy usage at varying times, extend the lives of energy systems, plus save energy usage and cash, thus Panasonic has most recently introduced the Aquarea Cascade Control system to its range. The cascade controller offers an integrated interface
which allows establishments such as supermarkets, hospitals, care homes and hotels to control up to 10 heat pumps to deliver and remotely manage the demands for energy-efficient heating and cooling across their organisations. This solution provides equal run hours
across all the heat pumps connected to the controller to supply a more efficient option and delivers a longer lifespan for each of the heat pump units with minimum maintenance and quicker installation. The solution has a large, easy-to-use touchscreen
display and provides control for up to 10 heat pumps, to run simultaneously or in cascade mode to create a system with a capacity up to 160kW. It can also connect to solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and 3-way valves for cooling, ideally suited for commercial and hospitality applications with additional means of energy sourcing which require specific solutions or programmes, yet can all be managed using one device. With its own built in MODBUS IP, the cascade
control system integrates with the building’s BMS communication and can have up to 3 M-BUS devices connected, to allow for a smarter way to manage heating, cooling, and domestic hot water (DHW). An example is a recent project in the UK where
Aquarea Cascade Control is used – a healthcare facility where six Aquarea H Series T-Cap 16kW air- to-water heat pumps, along with a cascade controller,
have been installed to provide underfloor heating to 2022m2 of floor space within the building. This new modern facility houses 15 in-patient rooms with en-suite facilities for those with life limiting conditions, several treatment rooms for out-patient clinics and multidisciplinary specialist services. The care home is benefitting from the cascade control system which modulates the air source heat pumps to meet demand and further save on energy usage. The scale of the cascade control system presents
a more efficient solution for commercial buildings. It helps to maximise the lifespan of the heat pump units, which can be intelligently managed to balance the load and offers a contingency solution if maintenance is required, minimising downtime.
CO2 SYSTEM INCREASES HOT WATER EFFICIENCY M
itsubishi Electric has announced the launch of a new commercial heating system running on CO2 (R744) to deliver hot water up to 90°C and help businesses
increase the efficiency of hot water production whilst significantly reducing their carbon footprint. The 40kW Ecodan QAHV high temperature air source heat pump is specifically designed for commercial sanitary hot water applications in hotels, leisure centres, hospitals, care homes, restaurants, schools and universities. Traditionally these are areas where gas boilers,
combined heat and power systems (CHP) or electric water heating have dominated, but as the national grid has become ‘greener’ and decarbonised, the case for modern, electrically-powered air source heat pumps has become stronger and stronger.
“This new unit is the perfect choice for organisations looking to meet their carbon reduction plan, and offers a low carbon solution that utilises the natural and stable refrigerant CO2,” comments James Chaplen, the senior product manager responsible for the QAHV. “These high performing units deliver an environmentally clean solution that enables compliance to strict local planning laws and helps to boost BREEAM points”. “Commercial heat pumps have been proven to be incredibly
efficient for low temperature heating but they have struggled to show the same levels of carbon savings when producing sanitary hot water,” explains Chaplen. “The Ecodan QAHV has been designed specifically to address this and, with the use of CO2, it also helps future-proof businesses in line with the next phases of the F-Gas Regulations.”
www.heatingandventilating.net
October 2020
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