Air Source Heat Pumps

Similar to ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps collect low grade heat - this time from the air - and converting it to high grade heat using heat pump technology. As such they can be 4-5 times more efficient than traditional heating systems. Air source heat pumps come in two versions - air-to-water which are an alternative to ground source heat pumps where extensive ground work or well drilling is not possible, and air-to-air that provides space heating. Air-to-air systems can also generally be reversed to provide cooling in the summer. Air-to-water systems are generally connected to underfloor heating and are therefore best suited to new houses, whereas air-to-air systems can be fitted to virtually any house.

System performance is somewhat dependant on the external air temperature, but modern systems that have been adopted for heating in Scandinavia should see only a few percentage point drops in efficiency at UK winter temperatures. The whole-life of the system is likely to be 10-15 years, and they are most cost-effective to retrofit when an existing boiler is in need of replacement.

According to the Energy Savings Trust, an air source heat pump could save around £760 a year on heating bills and almost 6 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

Heat Pump Association www.feta.co.uk/hpa

 Last reviewed 15/07/08