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NEWS
RENEWABLE SOLUTION TO OVER 1 MILLION HIT BY OIL PRICE RISES
The New Year is traditionally seen as a time for change and in light of recent figures released by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), this may never have been more true if you are one of the million plus people using oil to heat your home.
The world's First RHI now open for applications!
The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived as the world's first Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) launches to the Commercial sector.
Permitted Development Rights Extended To Cover Air Source Heat Pumps
Information published on the legislation.gov.uk website indicates that the rules governing permitted developments have been extended to cover the installation of Air Source Heat Pumps.
CASE STUDIES
Claire Graham Case Study
Claire Graham uses 2x17kW ground source heat pumps to heat her large detached home.
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How Do They Work?
The following is a basic explanation of how a heat pump works.
Overview
Heat pumps move stored solar energy from the ground into the home to provide a total solution for Domestic Hot Water (DHW) and all heating needs.
Because heat pumps simply move energy, rather than creating it by burning fossil fuels, they are very efficient. For every 1KWhr of electricity consumed by the heat pump it can produce 4KW of heat. This gives an efficiency of 400% sometimes stated as a Co-efficient Of Performance (COP) of 4:1.
Heat collection is achieved by installing a series of pipes in the ground. They are buried a metre deep and contain a water glycol mix at a low temperature. The surrounding soil is at a higher temperature, typically 10-13oC and gently warms the glycol mix as it is pumped around the ground loop.
A temperature increase of the ground loop fluid of just 3 or 4 degrees is all the heat pump requires. The returning warmed liquid is fed into a heat exchanger/Evaporator.
The Evaporator
The purpose of the Evaporator is to take the collected heat out of the ground loop liquid and return it cooled to the pipe for the next cycle. It does this by using a refrigerant that boils at approximately -10 Celsius, the act of boiling turns the refrigerant into a vapour which is then moved into the Compressor.
The Compressor
The Compressor does exactly what its name suggests; the vapour is compressed in volume and as its volume reduces its temperature increases. Temperatures of between 75 and 125 Degrees Celsius are achievable and the gas is then fed through a heat exchanger.
Condensor/heat exchanger
Feeding the hot gas through a condenser allows the refrigerant to turn back into a liquid. As it condenses it cools and releases its heat through a heat exchanger into the DHW and central heating system.
The Expansion Valve
To complete the closed circuit of the heat pump the only thing which needs to be done is reduce the pressure of the condensed liquid and this is done via an Expansion Valve.
TESTIMONIAL
