Issue 9 - Air Source Heat Pumps

Issue Date : 30th June 2009

Welcome back to the Newry Democrat’s Renewables and Energy saving section brought to you by Kellys Renewable Energy Solutions (www.kellys.uk.com). This week we will discuss ‘Air Source Heat Pumps’. As we have stated in previous weeks, people are looking to alternative economical ways to heat their homes.

Air Source heat pumps work on the same principle as Ground Source Heat Pumps (featured last week), taking low-grade energy and converting it to useful energy by means of the vapour compression cycle. Compared to ground source heat pumps they have the advantage of being cheaper to install, but the major disadvantage compared to a ground source heat pump is that in cold weather the air will be at a much lower temperature when heat is needed most. The pump thus has to work harder to supply the heat required, meaning the efficiency of the system is less than that of a ground source heat pump.

If an air source heat pump is combined with another source of heating, the system may be programmed so that the air source heat pump only works when the overall efficiency of the system will be improved. An air source heat pump is best used in conjunction with an under floor heating system due to the low temperatures required. This means that the heat pump doesn’t have to work as hard to achieve a higher temperature which is usually used in a conventional radiator system. At Kellys we believe that when installing an air source heat pump, the house or property should have a low heat demand (a house which is well insulated and considerably air tight) in order to achieve the maximum efficiency from the system.

At Kellys we supply, install and commission various sizes of Air Source Heat pumps, and with our Air Source Heat Pump you can obtain a grant of up to £900.