Heat Pumps

Researchers in China have designed a two-stage, solar-assisted thermochemical heat pump system that uses caustic soda and water as a working pair. The system is reportedly able to achieve an energy storage density of 363 kWh/m3 and is considered by its creators an ideal solution for residential buildings with limited space.

The Irish authorities have presented a new plan to allow homeowners to borrow between €5,000 ($5,350) and €75,000 for up to 10 years, with low interest rates. Heat pumps, solar electricity and solar water heater installations are all eligible under the scheme.

Tequs said its new plug-and-play heat pump can deliver up to 90 C of heat for space heating, air conditioning, and domestic hot water. The new product is available in eight versions with capacity ranging from 17 kW to 268 kW.

A group of researchers in Iran has analyzed the coefficient of performance and the energy consumption of a solar-assisted heat pumps and an air-source heat pumps and has found that three factors are crucial to determine their annual performance – irradiance changes, ambient temperature, and wind speed.

Researchers in Sweden have analyzed how roll-bonded PVT collectors can act as secondary heat sources in ground-source heat pumps and have found they provide a better performance than conventional PVT panels. Their techno-economic analysis also showed roll-bonded PVT systems can be up to 9% more expensive than conventional installations based on sheet and tube absorbers.

EDF says its heat-pump tracker tariff is the United Kingdom’s first, as it will never charge its customers more than the price cap, guaranteeing savings of at least GBP 164 ($202) per year. It says it is also offering a GBP 750 discount on new heat pump installations.

The new heat pumps use R-454B as a refrigerant and are specifically designed to be matched with Johnson Controls’ residential gas furnaces. Their size ranges from 1.5 tons to 5 tons and their coefficient of performance (COP) spans between 3.24 and 3.40, according to the manufacturer.

EcoFlow has launched a new air-to-water heat pump for residential applications. The new product, equipped with R290 refrigerant, is available in 9 kW and 20 kW versions. The US-headquartered manufacturer has also developed a new smart immersion heater, which uses surplus solar energy to heat up water. It is compatible with all available rooftop PV systems.

The German manufacturer said the new air-to-water systems are part of its Hybrox series. Their coefficient of performance is between 4.3 and 5.3 and their size ranges from 11 kW to 16 kW.

New research from Germany showed that PV-powered heat pumps could require less surface than their solar thermal-driven counterparts in district heating networks. The scientists also found that increasing energy prices would have a minimal impact on the viability of both concepts.