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An Air to Water Heat Pump can provide the ideal energy efficient hot water system for either domestic household use, or for larger Commercial applications.  In reality a Heat Pump provides slightly less energy savings when compared to a domestic solar water heater, but there are a number of other significant advantages associated with the use of an Air to Water Heat Pump.

One advantage of the Heat Pump is the aesthetic appearance that is gained by not having any solar panels or in some cases a storage tank as well on the roof of the building.  In some cases roof structures have to be reinforced when they are required to support the weight of a domestic sized solar storage tank that can weigh in excess of 400 kg.  The installation cost of an Air to Water Heat Pump is very simple compared to the installation cost of a solar water heater, and this significantly lower installation cost for the Heat Pumps should also be taken into consideration when assessing the overall installed cost of either product.

Another advantage of the Air to Water Heat Pump is the low energy draw from the electricity supply to operate the system, while at the same time producing an output of around 3 times more than the actual electrical input, when operated in average ambient temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius.  In reality this is a saving in energy of approximately 75% when compared to traditional electric water heaters.  In Regions where the average ambient temperature is higher than 20 degrees Celsius the actual energy savings can be higher due to the extra efficiency that is gained in these conditions.  There is also no need for sunlight because an Air to Water Heat Pump gains its free energy from the ambient air.    Contrary to popular belief, a solar water heater does requires back-up electrical energy to operate the booster element during periods of inclement weather, low radiation periods, and at night time when there is a need to supply hot water during those times.  The annual back-up energy needed to ensure solar water heaters provide an uninterrupted supply of hot water regardless of weather conditions, or if hot water is needed during the evening period, is similar to what is expended annually for a Heat Pump to drive the evaporator fan and compressor when comparing similar volumes of hot water delivery.   A domestic sized Heat Pump could, if required, operate from Photovoltaic (PV) solar cell system due to the low energy input needed compared to the actual output that is delivered in the form of hot water.

By Mel Peatey.

Look for my next post that explains the advantages of Heat Pumps in the larger Commercial installations.

Another method of reducing the effects of Global warming is to use Photovoltaic (PV) systems.  However, these products use a totally different type of technology than what is used for “thermal water heating” to convert radiation from the sun into useable electricity, through storage batteries and inverters.  Whilst most people are looking to “save” electricity by creating electricity from PV systems, these systems do not offer the same level of economic benefits as a solar or heat pump water heaters.   At present, most PV systems provide an efficiency level of approximately 17% which means they can convert approximately 17% of any available radiation into useable electrical energy.  On the other hand the technology used for solar water heater collector panels for instance, has been developed over many years with most systems on the market today offering efficiency levels of 70% and sometimes higher.  This in turn means solar thermal water heater panels can convert approximately 70% of any radiation that is available into heating energy for the water.

In a general domestic household situation, particularly in developed Nations, the energy needed to heat the water in a standard electric hot water system can represent between 40% and 60% of the total energy use of that household.  Solar or Heat Pump Water Heaters can save up to 80% of that energy which works out to be almost 40% to 50% of the total energy requirement of each household.  If this is then compared to an average saving of around 17% in energy use from Photovoltaic (PV) Systems, it is easy to see that at this point in time, solar or heat pump water heaters offer a better financial outcome for home owners.  However, in Commercial applications such as hotels, motels, larger restaurants, gymnasiums, and many other similar institutions, the sheer level (kW) of energy that can be saved by using large capacity commercial heat pump water heaters is enormous.  Some Governments are offering attractive rebate schemes to encourage commercial users to take advantage of these energy efficient appliances, and it will be these installations (particularly the commercial type) that will have a significant impact on Global Warming.