Could heat pumps be getting better?
- Thread starter lostinthelight
- Start date
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Yes they are.
And so are installs if done properly.
And so are installs if done properly.
Yes they should be getting better but care is still need when making the decision about using one to heat the average UK home
The article contains this paragraph
According to the scientists, the heat pump is able to generate domestic water at up to 75 C, a value which they describe as impossible to achieve for conventional heat pumps.
So they admit that it is impossible with conventional heat pumps.
and they claim it
can produce 6.49 kWh of heat for each kilowatt-hour of power it consumes
A CoP of 6.49 which is impressive, but under what circumstances is 6.49 achieved ?
Is a CoP greater than 5 possible for prolonged periods of time in normal weather conditions ?.
Most important is the question, What is the CoP when the outdoor temperature is low and the house requires a high CoP to keep the house warm.
( Ignoring those who choose ( or have no option but ) to live inside a house with the thermal properties of a vacuum flask )
In the late 1970's I was considering a heat pump using heat from a stream to supply heating to the house we were about to build. At the time gas was not an option and "alternatives" were well worth consideration. I was put in contact with the research team behind the Philips Experimental House at Aachen and the complexity of heat pumps with high CoP and reliability of operation gave rise to concern. There are physical limitations that set a maximum possible CoP for heat pumps depending on the source temperature and the desired output temperature.
As it happened a gas supply did become available and the idea of using a heat pump was dropped.
Recently a river sourced heat pump system was installed to heat a theatre and the reduction in heating bills made it a successful project,
The article contains this paragraph
According to the scientists, the heat pump is able to generate domestic water at up to 75 C, a value which they describe as impossible to achieve for conventional heat pumps.
So they admit that it is impossible with conventional heat pumps.
and they claim it
can produce 6.49 kWh of heat for each kilowatt-hour of power it consumes
A CoP of 6.49 which is impressive, but under what circumstances is 6.49 achieved ?
Is a CoP greater than 5 possible for prolonged periods of time in normal weather conditions ?.
Most important is the question, What is the CoP when the outdoor temperature is low and the house requires a high CoP to keep the house warm.
( Ignoring those who choose ( or have no option but ) to live inside a house with the thermal properties of a vacuum flask )
In the late 1970's I was considering a heat pump using heat from a stream to supply heating to the house we were about to build. At the time gas was not an option and "alternatives" were well worth consideration. I was put in contact with the research team behind the Philips Experimental House at Aachen and the complexity of heat pumps with high CoP and reliability of operation gave rise to concern. There are physical limitations that set a maximum possible CoP for heat pumps depending on the source temperature and the desired output temperature.
As it happened a gas supply did become available and the idea of using a heat pump was dropped.
Recently a river sourced heat pump system was installed to heat a theatre and the reduction in heating bills made it a successful project,
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