|
Heat Pump Systems: an
environmental choice?
 CO2 and Electricity demanded by air-source
heat pumps
Heat pumps are an
energy-efficient method of domestic heating and cooling. They
use electrical energy to reverse the natural flow of
environmental heat from cold to hot or from hot to cold in a
clearly advantageous relation: average efficient air-source heat
pumps require around 100 kWh of electrical power to obtain 300 kWh
of heated (or cooled air), while ground-heat pumps easily attain
the relation 1 to 5 (COP).
Heat pumps also have a relatively low carbon dioxide output:
less than a half of the CO2 output produced by electric, fuel or
gas residential appliances.
Ground source
heat pumps
Ground source heat pumps (also called geothermal heat pumps) are more
energy-efficient than air heat pumps. They do not demand
additional electrical heaters, and produce a lower carbon
dioxide output.
Average efficient geothermal heat pumps coefficient of
performance (COP) is often 5: they require around 100 kWh of
electrical power to obtain 500 kWh of heated (or cooled air).
Heat Pumps and the
Ozone Depleting effect
Ancient heat pumps used ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), but present equipment uses HCFC liquids, with a much
lower ozone-depleting effect, or refrigerants with no
ozone-depleting effect. And you may choose these last models…
Heat Pumps and Zero Energy
Buildings
Heat pumps can be part of zero
energy buildings. Combined with extensive insulation, right
home orientation and right principles of home building, or with
Solar PV electricity
and solar hot water systems,
modern heat pumps may assure
buildings with a net energy consumption of zero over a typical
year.
Back to top Environment and Heat Pump Systems
Return to
Energy-Savings Home Page
|
