Heat pump

A heat pump is a device that, thanks to its principle of operation, produces heat or cold energy from the environment: earth, water, air.

Heat pumps 

They are divided into:

     1. Water (brine)/water heat pumps, the source of energy is soil, water (groundwater from a well, river, sea)

     2. Air/water heat pumps, the energy source is air.

The production of heat or cold has two components: environmental energy + electricity. 

The main parameter is the COP - conversion factor, which shows the amount of heat energy received from the heat pump when consuming 1 kWh of electricity. The higher the COP, the more efficient and economical the heat pump is.

The COP is an indicator of the efficient use of a heat pump. The more of the natural energy the device can use for heating or cooling, the less electricity will be used. Or so we can say: COP is a conversion factor that shows the amount of heat energy received from a heat pump when consuming 1 kWh of electricity. The higher the COP, the more efficient and economical the heat pump.

The best indicator is 1 to 5, provided that the temperatures outside are not low and the heating systems in the house are low. The colder it is, the lower the ratio.   It should be noted that the efficiency of using a heat pump and its payback depends on the correct calculation of heat losses and a properly designed, low-temperature heating system.

Now let's talk a little bit about each type of heat pump.

When the heat source is ground, water/water heat pumps are used. 

The advantages are:

       1.  A constant source of energy - due to the constant temperature of the soil

       2. High COP.

*It is important not to locate such fields close to each other so that the ground has the opportunity to heat up and recover.

The amount of heat generated depends on the soil (sandy, clay, etc.)

Disadvantages:

       1. High costs for pipe installation at a depth below freezing

       2. Large area of soil for pipe rolling.

       3. Only grass and flowers can grow over such a pipe field. Tree roots can damage the pipes.

       4. The cost of pipes, collectors underground, heat pump and labor and the price of digging equipment is high compared to the air source heat pump.

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When the heat source is groundwater, water (brine)/water heat pumps are used.

Boreholes are made in the ground, pipes are lowered that take away the heat of the soil and water.

The effectiveness of such a pump depends on the geological properties of the underground rocks, as well as on the availability of groundwater. The average heat extraction for a sandy soil, for example, is 25 W/cm, while clay saturated with water can produce up to 60 W/cm.

The advantages are:

        1. A constant source of energy - due to the constant temperature of the soil/water

        2. High SOC.

*It is important not to place such wells closer than 6m from each other, so that the ground has the opportunity to heat up and recover.

Disadvantages:

        1. High costs for well drilling

        2. Large area of land for wells.

        3. The cost of materials, robots, drilling equipment, and well construction is high.

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When the heat source is air, air/water heat pumps are used.

Advantages:

        1. Low cost in general, for equipment, materials and work compared to other types of heat pumps.

        2. Average COP.

        3. At temperatures below -20C, shades are automatically turned on to keep the house warm.

        4. The volume of the outdoor unit is less than 35 dB

        5. An area of 1m2 is required to install the outdoor unit

Disadvantages:

        1. COP depends on the outdoor temperature.

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