Industry insight


Priming the pump W


e are at a defi ning moment in the development of heat pumps. Although this exceptionally effi cient technology has been around for a long time, it has yet to reach its full potential.


However, more and more specifi ers are beginning to recognise the


tremendous advantages of heat pumps in terms of their ecological benefi ts, the impressive energy savings they off er, and the fact that they involve less maintenance than combustion-based heating systems. Now there is an even more signifi cant factor in favour of heat pumps – the plummeting cost of running them.


Cheaper than fossil fuels


Over the past few weeks, several reliable sources have revealed that heat pumps can be cheaper to run over their operational lives than fossil fuel (typically gas)-powered heating. Although they relate largely to heat pumps in domestic applications, the principles outlined in the four studies also apply in commercial settings. After all, they rely on the fact that the head-to-head calculation of heat pumps versus fossil-fuel powered heating has changed as, among other things, the energy crisis has sent gas and oil prices soaring. Recent analysis by environmental think-tank the Regulatory Assistance


Project shared with MailOnline, for example, reveals that the high cost of gas has resulted in heat pumps now being up to £261 a year cheaper to operate than a gas boiler. According to MailOnline: “When installation is factored in, the heat pump would be £412 cheaper over a decade if it lasts to the maximum of its estimated lifetime of 20 to 25 years while the gas boiler lasts the minimum of its lifetime of 10 to 15 years.” Meanwhile, drawing upon analysis of 60,000 heat pump installations in the


UK, innovation charity Nesta has projected that the total cost of a heat pump over an average 15-year lifetime, including the system, installation and running costs, could soon be £60 to £110 a year cheaper than a gas boiler. Nesta says: “The most signifi cant change would be achieved by shifting levies


The many benefi ts of heat pumps


Although it is an important consideration, running cost is not the only factors when deciding whether or not to specify heat pumps. They off er a host of solid business advantages over alternative forms of heating because they exhibit: Lower maintenance costs – heat pumps require less maintenance than


combustion-based heating systems. ¡ Higher effi ciency – heat pumps can achieve effi ciencies of 400%. ¡ Greater safety – heat pumps do not rely on combustion to generate heat so there are fewer risks associated with their use. ¡ More fl exibility – many heat pumps can off er cooling as well as heating. ¡ Long life – operational lifespans of 20 years or more are not uncommon.


from electricity to gas, a move that ministers are already reportedly considering. This change would take £600 per year off the cost of running a heat pump… compared to a gas boiler.” Another study, this time by energy contract provider Verivox, estimates that heating costs using a heat pump are around 39% lower than in applications using natural gas heating. Even with a less effi cient heat pump, costs are around 11% lower, says the company. If the current price diff erence continues, installing a new heat pump now could pay off within 10 years, the analysis shows. A fourth study from consultancy Baringa shows that gas prices have rocketed


as a result of the post-COVID global industrial recovery, and tensions between Russia and the West are leading to severe uncertainty around future gas supplies. The company adds: “Our analysis shows that installing an air-source heat pump (including additional costs for insulation retrofi ts) in a standard three - bedroom house today, will return a profi t of c. £3,000 over 20 years (with a 10-year payback)… “High infl ation and soaring energy bills have brought energy costs sharply


into focus, and high prices could be here to stay. Any further sanctions imposed by Western governments on Russian energy supplies are likely to push costs up even further.”


Heat pump boom


The commercial/industrial heat pump sector is, I believe, on the cusp of an explosion in popularity as the technology develops further and its capital and operating costs fall. We are really still only scratching the surface in terms of the latent demand


for heat pumps in commercial and industrial applications; they are set to grow in acceptance as their signifi cant advantages over alternative heat generation technology is increasingly recognised.


www.heatingandventilating.net


Heat pumps are a sleeping giant, off ering remarkable economic and environmental advantages but they are yet to capture the imagination of many specifi ers. As their running costs start to tumble, however, heat pumps are set to really take off , says Tim Mitchell, sales director of Klima-Therm


32 September 2022


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