The Heat Pump was invented in 1855 - 1857 by Peter von Rittinger, but his achievement would not have been possible without other important previous advances in the field. In 1748 William Cullen demonstrated artificial refrigeration. In 1834 Jacob Perkins designed a practical refrigerator with diethyl ether. In 1852 Lord Kelvin, a British engineer, described the theory of the heat pump. He foresaw the use of heats pump in the cooling oh buildings. In 1855 - 1857 Peter von Rittinger developed and built the first heat pump. In 1940 Robert C. Webber developed and built the first ground heat pump.
EVOLUTION
Since the firsts heat pumps, a lot of improvements have been implemented, triggering a rising in the efficiency and, therefore, in the COP. Some of these improvements in the last decades are:
Thermostatic expansion valves can get more precise control of the refrigerant flow to the indoor coil.
Variable speed blowers. These are more efficient and are able to compensate some of the adverse effects of restricted ducts.
Improved design of the coil.
Improved design of the electric motor and two speed compressor.
Copper tubing grooved inside to increase area.
DESCRIPTION
TECHNOLOGY
OPERATION PRINCIPLE
It is known that heat flows from hot areas to cold areas and that is the reason why there is a need to constantly heat buildings spaces. The idea is to drive heating from outside heat sources (ground, water, air…) or from heating human waste into buildings, with the smallest amount of energy required as possible. There are many different systems with their own efficiency, advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, heat pumps can have many others applications than heating, especially in industry. The Heat Pump is the device that can create a revolution in construction and in a few years in industry.
EFFICIENCY (COP)
It is better to talk of Coefficient Of Performance (COP) instead of heat pump efficiency. It is the ratio of heat delivered in system distribution and electricity required to make the system work. This coefficient permits the determination of which kind of heat pump will be the best for our needs: industrial, domestic, hot or cold area:
Pump type and source
Typical use
COP variation with output temperature
35 °C
45 °C
55 °C
65 °C
75 °C
85 °C
Air source heat pump (−20 °C)
2,2
2,0
â€
â€
â€
â€
Air source heat pump (0°C)
Low output temperature
3,8
2,8
2,2
2,0
â€
â€
Ground source heat pump
water at 0 °C
5,0
3,7
2,9
2,4
â€
â€
Ground source heat pump
ground at 10 °C
Low output temperature
7,2
5,0
3,7
2,9
2,4
â€
Theoretical Carnot cycle limit, source −20 °C
5,6
4,9
4,4
4,0
3,7
3,4
Theoretical Carnot cycle limit, source 0 °C
8,8
7,1
6,0
5,2
4,6
4,2
Theoretical Carnot cycle limit, source 10 °C
12,3
9,1
7,3
6,1
5,4
4,8
Figure S.1.1: Table to compare efficiency of different heat pumps in relation to output temperature.
Typical heat pumps, in good conditions, can provide for instance 300 kWh of heat which can be used, with only 100 kWh of electrical energy, and 200 kWh heat from environment or human waste. It should be noted that the COP decrease when the difference of temperature between the heat source and the heat sink increase. This is the reason why heat pumps are better preforming in warn areas. Ground source heat is preferred instead of an air source, because the ground has relatively the same warm temperature during the whole year, and that is not the case of air which can vary between -20°C to 35°C in some areas. To consider this parameter, there exists the Seasonal Performance Factor (SPF) which is the ratio of the heat delivered and the energy required over the season in order to compare the heating and cooling demands. Moreover, instead of COP, when it is a question of cooling, it is common to use the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), not expressed in W but in Btu/h. (1Btu/h=0,293W)
Users have to be aware that several factors reduce efficiency of heat pump:
The difference between heat source and heat sink
The size of the heat pump as a function of the demand
The control system
The energy consumption for auxiliary system (fans, hybrid system need more heating…)
The heat exchanger must be the largest possible
The type of heat pump: air may condense inside the system and may freeze, so energy needed to defrost it, or to move air into the system which requires more energy than liquid.
REFRIGERANT
The fluid which transfers the heat in the heat pump is the refrigerant. The refrigerant is a volatile fluid sealed in to a closed circuit and must not degrade in the life of the device. Different refrigerants are available. Chlorofluorocarbons, such as R-12 was often used until the 1990s, but now it is not allowed because it causes damage to the ozone layer if release into the atmosphere. R-134a has been adopted widely but heat pumps that use this refrigerant are not as efficient as those that used R-12. Ammonia (R717) is used on a large scale. Propane and butane can be used as well. Recently, the carbon dioxide (R-744) has increased and R-22 is still widely used. However HFC R-410A does not damage the ozone layer and is being used also. Nowadays, most refrigerators use isobutene, which does not damage the ozone layer. The use of Dimethyl ether is also increasing.
TYPES OF HEAT PUMPS
ACCORDING TO THE OPERATION MODE
COMPRESSION
Most of the heat pumps work in compression, because of its high efficiency. Its need of electric energy or fuel is the disadvantage of this heat pump, even if heat from fuel can be used on the condenser.
Engine
Fuel
Compressor
3. Condenser
1. Evaporation
4. Expansion
2. Compression
Condenser
Expansion valve
Evaporator
HEAT OUT
HEAT INHow does it work?
Figure S.1.2: Closed cycle, engine-driven vapour compression heat pump. (IEA Heat Pump Center, 2010)
A compression heat pump is composed of four components and an engine to provide energy (electric motor or combustion engine) to make the compressor work. Those four main components which are the evaporator connected with the heat source, the compressor, the condenser connect with the heat sink with the second exchanger, and the expansion valve, are linked in a closed circuit where a refrigerant is circulated.
Firstly in the evaporator, heat from the heat source is transferred to the refrigerant which has a lower temperature, because heat naturally flows from higher to lower temperatures. Then, the heated refrigerant evaporates into the compressor. There, high pressure is applied to the hot vapor, which increases refrigerant temperature in order to inject it into the condenser where it transfers heat to the heat sink with the help of an exchanger and the natural flow of heat. Then, the condensate hot vapor is driven into the expansion valve to decrease the pressure and therefore decrease the temperature. Finally, it returns in the evaporator at its natural temperature, in order to make another cycle.
ABSORPTION
The advantage of an absorption heat pump is that it does not need electricity, but only natural gas, because it works with an internal combustion engine. In addition to areas where electricity is expensive, this kind of heat pump is particularly useful in cool areas, because it needs lower operating temperature from outside sources.
HEAT OUTHow does it work?
HEAT IN
Generator
Condenser
Pump
Heater
Expansion valve
Expansion valve
Evaporator
Absorber http://www.heatpumpcentre.org/en/aboutheatpumps/heatpumptechnology/PublishingImages/HP_technology_Fig3.gif
Figure S.1.3: Absorption heat pump (IEA Heat Pump Center, 2010)
Its way of working is similar with the electrical compression heat pump with its main components: the evaporator, the condenser and the expansion valve. The new element is the electrical compressor which is replaced by a natural compressor made with mainly an absorber and a generator heated with the natural gas. Like in the previous one, the refrigerant called the working fluid is in liquid state in the evaporator. Being in contact with the heat source makes it into a vapor. This vapor goes up naturally into the absorber where the vapor from the working fluid will be absorbed into the absorbent. Nowadays, two different couples of working fluid / absorbent are used:
Water/Lithium bromide or Ammonia / Water
(It should be noted that water can be used for the working fluid or for the absorbent!)
This absorption produces heat that is used to heat the heat sink, and this is the reason why the temperature of the heat source can be lower than with an electrical compression heat pump. Once the vapor is absorbed into the absorbent, a little pump mechanically drives the liquid into the generator. There, it will be heated by the natural gas (at the end, this waste heat will also serve to heat the sink) in order to separate absorbent and the working fluid drive naturally them into respectively the absorber to be reused and the condenser to heat the heat sink.
ACCORDING TO THE SOURCE/SINK STATE
AIR-AIR
This is a very popular type of heat pump, and the cheapest. In fact, an air condition is an air to air heat pump which cool the inside air. The air to air heat pump transfers the heat from the outside air to the inside air. This air contains some heat, so the device can take some heat to cool or heat the interior of the building. The main components of an air-air heat pump are:
An outdoor exchanger coil, which extracts heat from the outside air
An indoor exchanger, which transfers the heat to the inside air
Figure S.1.4: Air- Air heat pump. (Poulsen, C., 2012)
AIR-WATER
In this type of heat pump, the outside air is still the heat source, but the heat is transferred into a heating circuit, a floor heating (the most efficient), or even into a water tank to be used in the shower and hot water taps of the building. Air to water heat pump usage is growing in Europe because it is very easy to install and to integrate in to an existing water system.
C:\Users\Ismael\Desktop\ScreenHunter_26 Nov. 08 20.59.jpg
Figure S.1.5: Air- Water heat pump. (Poulsen, C., 2012)
WATER-WATER
In this case, both the source and the sink are water. The process is similar, but there are differences in the exchangers. Usually the water source is in the ground (ground- source systems), but can be different: river, waste water…
C:\Users\Ismael\Desktop\ScreenHunter_27 Nov. 08 21.08.jpg
Figure S.1.6: Water- water heat pump. (Poulsen, C., 2012)
ACCORDING TO THE SIZE
STANDARD HEAT PUMPS
In houses, usually, there is a possibility of choosing to implement the heat pump outside or in the boiler room, so any type of heat pump can be chosen as needed based on the function of the device to which the heat pump is linked. Actually, the supply temperature range needed will depend on the application:
Application
Supply temperature range (°C)
Air distribution
Air heating
30 - 50
Floor heating; low temperature (modern)
30 - 45
Hydronic systems
Radiators
45 - 55
High temperature (conventional) radiators
60 - 90
District heating - hot water
70 - 100
Under floor heating
30 - 35
District heating
District heating - hot water/stream
100 - 180
Cooled air
10 - 15
Space cooling
Chilled water
5 - 15
District cooling
5 - 8
Figure S.1.7: Table of supply temperature range in function of different applications of heat pumps (IEA Heat Pump Center, 2010)
LARGE SCALE HEAT PUMPS
In industry or in commercial environments, most of the time, the heat pump has to be outside of the building because of the lack of space. So in order to avoid a supplementary boiler, it is easy to choose an absorption heat pump which does not need high temperature from the heat source to work. But the choice of the heat pump still depends on the difference between the heat source and the heat sink.
It is common for commercial and institutional buildings to prefer heat pump with water in order to be able to cool and heat different places at the same time by dividing a loop into little loops for each rooms. In that case, the source is cold but is reinforced by a boiler in the case of heating. To cool room driving cool water into the building can reduce or even eliminate the air conditioning.
It may be noticed that using heap pumps for industry has a COP more efficient than heat pumps for residential buildings. That can be explained because conditions for operating in industry remain stable in comparison to house conditions. Moreover, industry needs lower temperatures so the difference between the heat source and sink are smaller.
Figure S.1.8: Table of temperature required in function of several industrial applications. (Poulsen, C., 2012)
CURRENT STATUS
SITUATION
Despite the increasing use of heat pumps, fossil fuels still dominate the market of heating houses, and air to air heat pump have a big implementation in the market of cooling buildings. In some European countries like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and France and in USA as well, a large number of geothermal heat pumps are currently working.
Most of the market development takes place in Central and Northern Europe. In these countries air conditioning is rarely required, so heat pumps mainly operate in the heating mode. With the inclusion of more applications and the proliferation in to the South of Europe, the use for both heating and cooling will be more important.
Figure S.1.9: Number of installed heat pump units in some European countries (Sanner, B. et al., 2003)
As for the Ground source Heat pumps, the popularity is still modest in Europe, with the exception of Sweden and Switzerland. Further market growth can be expected.
Figure S.1.10: Annual heat pump sales in Germany (Sanner, B. et all., 2003)
EXTRA APPLICATIONS
The main utilization of heat pump is heating room spaces, and also cooling for some of them. Moreover, the heat pump can be used to heat domestic water for cleaning, taking a shower or even for hot tub or swimming pool. This can be very interesting because we need to heat the swimming pool during the summer when we need to cool the house. In that case, one can be the source, while the other is the sink!
As seen previously, in industry, the heating requirements can be varied. In addition to the heating system, heat pumps can be useful during the process of production especially for dairies, to clean spaces with hot water (breweries, beverage industry, etc.) and products (fruits and vegetables, etc.) or to dry ham or fishes.
COUNTRIES CONCERNED
Heat pump systems are well developed in the world, and according to the area, some kind of heat pumps are more common than others.
For example, Japan and United States give priority to air distribution, while Europe Canada and north east of United States favour water. That can be explained by the fact that in the latter countries, the temperature often goes under zero degrees Celsius during the summer, so using air like a heat source could have bad effects with condensation which can freeze in the system.
Even if it is well known that the heat pump has been a proven technology for many years in the north of Europe (Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark), it is interesting to focus on Europe to evaluate, where the heat pump could be developed, where it is developed and also where it is trendy.
Figure S.1.11: Heat pump market in Europe (Poulsen, C., 2012)
FACTORS
EXTERNAL INPUTS
HEAT SOURCES / SINKS
NATURAL
AIR
Air source heat pumps (ASHP) extract the heat from the outside air, and can deliver it either to the inside air or to an interior water system. They work by the same principles of an air conditioner, but air conditioners are optimized for cooling instead of heating. ASHP have historically been the most widely used type of heat pump, because they are the simplest and the cheapest, but when the exterior temperature fall below around 5° the heat pump starts being less efficient. An air source heat pump will never be as efficient as a well-designed ground source heat pump. The COP in a mild weather may be around 3-4 but it decreases with lower temperatures. The main advantage of them is their lower initial investment.
GROUND SOURCE (SOLAR)
A ground source heat pump extracts heat from the ground. The ground temperature is rather steady, warmer than the air in winter and cooler in summer. As we have seen before, the smaller the difference between the source temperature and the sink temperature the higher the efficiency. For this reason ground source heat pumps are more efficient than air source heat pumps, despite the fact that ground source heat pumps have more initial costs. This energy source is even more interesting in the coldest regions, where an air source heat pump would have a very bad COP in winter, and in fact, is in these regions where it is more popular.
The most common way to extract the heat is with pipes in the ground. The pipes are usually putted in horizontal trenches at depth about 2 meters. Vertical boreholes are an alternative if there is not enough space to put them horizontally, but it is a more expensive solution.
Ground source heat pumps typically have more or less steady COPs of 3.5-4. However, the ground temperature can fall if a heat pump is extracting a lot of heat year by year, making the COP worse. To solve this problem, solar collectors can be used to replace the extracted heat, as we will see later.
Ground source heat pumps are commonly confused with geothermal energy. Actually, geothermal energy can be found at depths of about 500 meters or in specific places like Iceland, where volcanic activity comes close to the earth surface. The heat extracted by a ground source heat pump is caused by the sun.
Figure S.1.12: Ground source heat pump (CANMET Energy Technology Centre, 2002.)
SOLAR
The use of solar energy in heat pumps is related to ground source heat pumps. In a solar assisted ground source heat pump, the solar thermal collecting mechanism replaces the heat that the heat pump extracts from the ground. This is important because the ground temperature can fall year by year and therefore, if the source temperature decreases, the COP get worse, and the costs rises. Besides, there is the possibility of using these solar systems to store summer solar energy for use in winter, improving substantially the efficiency of the ground source heat pump. Some types if storage systems are by tanks, by boreholes, aquifers... This combination of energies and technologies (ground source and solar collectors, heat pumps and storage systems) is still not widely developed and some researches are focused on this issue.
WATER
Water source heat pumps commonly refer to the types of heat pumps that extract heat from a water source like a body of water or a stream, even from a recirculation system (typically in an industrial setting).
WASTE HEAT
Free and in great quantity in our society, the use of human wasted heat is developing to improve efficiency of heat pump and reduce energy requirements. Actually, inside boilers are less efficient than centralized production of heat with interrelated system from various wasted heat.
We have many examples of countries which already have used human wasted heat. For instance, heat from incineration, or from sewage.
ELECTRICITY
As we have seen before, some heat pumps do not need electricity to work. Nevertheless, compression heat pumps work with electricity which can be provided from hydropower or renewable energy in order to reduce carbon gas emission compared to coal, oil or gas electrical sources. It is noticed that heat pumps optimize electrical sources more than resistance heaters, because with one quantity of electricity, heat pumps can produce three times more heat energy in order to drive it into the sink.
Figure S.1.13: Electrical energy required for heat pump with a COP of 3. (Poulsen, C., 2012)
INSTALLATION
Heat pumps are a reliable system for many years, if users install them well at the beginning and provide to them a good maintenance during its years of work. The installation must be led by experts or qualified technicians who could advice users for supplementary equipment.
For instance, to prevent condensation which can freeze during the winter, insulating pipes which can contain cold liquid can be very important in some areas. Also in evaporator, still to prevent the condensation, it is good to drain it regularly with basin or adapted pipe.
Moreover, to get operating conditions more stable in order to extend heat pump life span, linking the heat pump with an inertial tank is a good solution.
Finally, it is advisable in cold areas, to add boilers for electric heat pump when the system is outside or with a cold source, whereas absorption heat pump can work with -20°C air.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
CO2 EMISSIONS
How much can use of heat pumps reduce gas emission?
We always talk about carbon gas emissions, but many gases are responsible for the environment global warming: the sulphur dioxide (SO2), the nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the well-known carbon dioxide (CO2). The use of heat pumps rather than common boilers can reduce all emissions. Actually, this system requires much less primary energy. For example, gas boilers produce 40% more CO2 than air source heat pump.
22 billion metric tons was the emission of carbon gas fifteen years ago. One third was produced by building heating and one third was emitted because of industrial activities. It was calculated that if only 30% of the residential and commercial building heating is provided by heat pump, one billion metric ton will not be emitted, which is a reduction of half of the carbon emissions. In industry only 0,2 billion metric tons could be eliminated but it represents in total 6% of the total emissions.
To have an idea, if all the boilers are replaced by heat pumps, 35 to 50% of fuel will be saved and an equal quantity of CO2 emission reduced.
THERMAL IMPACT
There is not much information about if the temperature´s descent triggered by a ground source heat pump or an air source heat pump can affect organisms and plants that surround the device. However, it has to be considered, especially the large scale heat pumps, because it can produce thermal contamination in aquifers and ground water near the heat pump sink, affecting to the organisms.
REFRIGERANT
As it has been mentioned before, some refrigerants are very aggressive with the ozone layer. One of them is HCFC-22 (R-22), the most common refrigerant for heat pumps. But its production and use is being prohibited. It will be shown a Schedule for its phasing out:
2004: reduction of 35% below 1989 levels
2010: reduction of 65%
2015: reduction of 90%
2020: HCFCs phased out (0,5% allowed until 2030 for existing equipment)
A lot of heat pumps are still being marketed with R-22 as refrigerant. Despite being available other refrigerants, they are still less efficient. Research and developments are underway to achieve substitutes of R-22.
ANTIFREEZE
In colder climates antifreeze solutions are necessary to avoid freezing during the heating operation. A lot of these products are toxic, corrosive and flammable. Some good solutions are Ethanol, which is efficient, have a low toxicity and is biodegradable; and Propylene glycol which is also not aggressive with the environment, but it is less efficient.
ECONOMICAL ASPECT
MICRO ECONOMICAL
It is very difficult to estimate the costs and savings of a heat pump system because as they depend on a large number of factors, they vary a lot. The main factors that affect both the investments and the energy savings are:
Size of the buildings
Energy needs
Climate (for air source heat pumps mainly)
Insulation of the house
Heating current system (radiators, air ventilation, floor heating)
Ground characteristics (for the ground source heat pumps only)
Exterior factors (Fuel costs, fundings)
Control and use of the system
However it will be shown some typical average values as a guide, without taking into account possible government subventions.
INVESTMENT
Air source heat pump: This system is the cheapest. A typical system for a familiar house costs around 6 000 to 10 000 euro.
Ground source heat pump: A typical system for a familiar house would cost around 9 000 to 17 000 euros.
SAVINGS
Air source heat pump:
Existing system
Units
Air source heat pump performing at COP 2.2
Air source heat pump performing at COP 3
Gas
euros/year
125
160
Electric
euros/year
475
760
Oil
euros/year
100
390
Solid
euros/year
125
410
Figure S.1.14: Energy savings in an air source heat pump. (Energy saving trust, 2012)
Ground source heat pump
The table has been calculated with COPs of 2.5 and 3. However in a well-designed ground source heat pump it can be achieved higher values.
Existing system
Units
Ground source heat pump performing at COP 2.5
Air source heat pump performing at COP 3
Gas
euros/year
0
165
Electric
euros/year
600
765
Oil
euros/year
225
385
Solid
euros/year
250
490
Figure S.1.15: Energy savings in ground source heat pumps. (Energy saving trust, 2012)
PAYBACK TIME
Air source heat pump
Existing system
Air source heat pump performing at COP 2.2
Air source heat pump performing at COP 3
Gas
60
45
Electric
16
10
Oil
75
20
Solid
60
18
Figure S.1.16: Payback time in air source heat pumps. (Energy saving trust, 2012)
Ground source heat pump
Existing system
Ground source heat pump performing at COP 2.5
Air source heat pump performing at COP 3
Gas
-
75
Electric
21
17
Oil
58
34
Solid
52
26
Figure S.1.17: Payback time in ground source heat pumps. (Energy saving trust, 2012)
ECONOMICAL CONCLUSIONS
If the existing system is gas, the payback time is very high due to the competitive gas prices. If the existing system is electrical we can achieve easily low payback times. In other systems the payback time depends a lot on the efficiency of the system. It has to be mentioned that the values of ground source heat pumps has been calculated with medium efficiencies: a well design ground source heat pump can improve these values. Besides, the values have been calculated for an average European house. The higher needs of energy of the northern European countries because of their lower temperatures make the heat pump systems even more feasible. Some European countries have funding schemes to install these systems.
MACRO ECONOMICAL
STATE SUBVENTIONS FROM THE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
Governments begin to be aware of their role in environment protection. By introducing tax breaks and grants they can make people invest so increase the market of sustainable supply in construction.
In some countries, residential or industrial users can receive grant in order to invest in heat pumps, equipment and materials required. Grants can depend on heat pump power, type of organization (industrial, commercial, public, community or households).
The grant can usually account for 40-50% of the total investment (Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Luxembourg) but the record is with 70% of eligible costs in Hungary.
Moreover users can be exempted of taxes on energy saving measures, CO2 emissions and energy taxes. Also, in some countries, they can deduct a part of their total investment of materials and equipment from their annual taxes (from 11% to 55% in Italy for building renovation).
Nevertheless, many countries have a maximum budget for grants and taxes exemption per organization: usually from 700€ to 3500€ for households (in Greece, Ireland, Sweden) but can be a limit of 200 000€ in Slovenia or even 850 000€ in Cyprus.
Many European countries do not help organizations which want to improve their production system or heating system with heat pump to reduce their energy consumption and gas emissions: Estonia, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, Malta, and Lithuania. Most of these countries are either in hot areas, or not very developed.
Even if most of the time, the whole investment is not covered, the subventions and taxes exemptions can be very helpful initially before saving money on long term with less energy required.
ENERGY SAVINGS
The real advantage of the heat pump is that use free and renewable energy from outside: ground, air, water heated by the sun.
It reduces fuel or electrical bills because can provide the same amount of energy with three times less primary energy. Some heat pumps in industry can even provide the same quantity of heat with only 3 or 4% of electricity, but this high performance has not been developed for households yet.
To compare heat pump or other boilers on energy saving, the SPF can be used, because it takes into account primary energy required during the whole year, CO2, and the efficiency.
The best way to save energy is to combine the heat pump with other sustainable devices in the same building in order to have a passive or even a positive house which does not need any external energy to make inhabitants confortable during all seasons.
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Figure S.1.18: Energy required by a traditional boiler and an absorption heat pump (IEA Heat Pump Center, 2010)
FUTURE TRENDS
REORGANIZED SECTORS
In order to develop heat pump in new sectors, a new way of thinking is needed to combine cold areas with hot areas. That is why, it is common to see ice rink next to swimming pool, because with the help of a heat pump, the cold or the heat of one of those areas can be the sources for heating or cooling the other one. To make it clear, take the heat from ice rink to give it to swimming pool in order to heat the water has a double effect: cooling the ice rink and heating the swimming pool.
This example can be developed in many sectors. For instance, in supermarkets, it will be ingenious to put fridge and freezer next to bakery, in order to combine that heat and cold sources. This way of thinking can help to save a lot of energy and money; we just have to think about it during the implementation of commerce or industry.
POTENTIAL MARKET
BUILDING SECTOR
The heat pump potential market is as wide as the heating systems market, with some specific features. In rural areas, where natural gas pipelines are not available, heat pumps seem to be more attractive. Most of the market growth is related to new constructions with low-temperature heating systems, but the main potential market is in existing building stock with high-temperature heating systems. Unfortunately, the high temperature of operation is a technical obstacle to large-scale use of individual heat pumps.
Figure S.1.19: Electrical energy required for heat pump with a COP of 3. (Poulsen, C., 2012)
INDUSTRIAL SECTOR
The industrial heat pump is being developed as well, with more than 20% increase every year. More than 50 countries are promoting these systems. Besides, it is expected to have a higher penetration by 2020.
TARGETS RESULTS
Government assistance and realization by the society that the environment has to be protected will improve the heat pump development in Europe, as well in industry as in commercial and residential buildings. Europe wants to implement by 2020, a strategy "for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth" focusing on environment targets: reducing by 20% (from rates in 1990) CO2 emissions, and increase by 20% energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy sources in total energy supply.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, heat pump has many advantages. The improvement of efficiency of heating/cooling systems triggers a direct reduction of gas emissions, and the possibility of save money in many different applications. The economic feasibility is not so obvious and depends on many factors, mainly on the climate (hard temperatures worse the efficiency), on the existing heating system and on the heat pump design. State subvention and tax exemption can make a big difference for potential users.
SWOT
Competitive gas prices
Can be combined with a lot of others sustainable energies
State subventions and taxes exemption in many countries
Trendy to protect environment
Need electricity or gas-source
High initial costs
Uncertainty of the real COP that can be achieved in each case.
Only 1/3 electricity required
Need natural free and renewable input (ground, water, air…)
Can reduce CO2 emissions
Suitable for different application (industry, residential buildings)C:\Users\hp\Desktop\SWOT\SWOT.png
