How Heat Pumps Can Help Reduce Building Emissions

Many companies looking to lower their carbon emissions and energy expenditures are turning to heat pumps as a cost-effective alternative for water heating, heating and cooling a busy workplace. Heat pumps can provide efficient domestic hot water, heating, and air conditioning in residential properties, office buildings, clinics, hotels, and educational institutions.

Heat pumps are extremely efficient when it comes to supplying hot and cold air or water.  Excellent power efficiencies are achievable using heat pump technology and they are typically all electric, so there is no on site carbon emissions with most systems. Let’s have a look at how heat pumps work and how they can help reduce global warming as a result of their energy-saving features.

How do Heat Pumsp Work?

Heat pumps utilize the very same refrigeration cycle as any other type of traditional AC system. The only distinction is that the refrigerant circuit has reversible valves, allowing the refrigerant cycle to run in both directions. It has the ability to collect heat from an area and release it outside, as well as take heat from outside and transfer it within.

In warm temperatures, a heat pump works similarly to an air conditioning unit, removing heat from the interior atmosphere and transferring it to the outside, cooling the building. During colder months, it draws heat from the outside atmosphere and brings it inside.  Surprising to many, even if the weather is very cold outside, the outside air still retains sufficient heat to keep your building warm through the use of modern heat pump technologies.  When the outdoor weather is cold enough that the building needs supplemental heat, that heating can come from either electric resistance coils or boilers, resulting in no on site emission of carbon to the atmosphere.

Heat pumps are often thought to be more complex than other systems.  However, they only have two additional moving components compared to a traditional refrigeration unit of similar capacity, and they warm the air or water with near-zero-maintenance electrical coils.

Types of Heat Pumps

Heat pumps can transfer heat from one location to another. The Air Source Heat Pump is by far the most common form, which uses a modest amount of electrical power to transmit heat in the air from one location to the other, depending on the needs of the areas served. 

Air Source Heat Pumps can also be used to move heat from the outdoor air to water in an Air-to-Water heat pump.   Air-to-Water heat pumps are extremely efficient for use in preheating domestic water or heating a swimming pool.

Whereas most heat pumps extract or reject heat from and to the atmosphere, geothermal heat pumps extract or reject heat from the earth or a nearby body of water, resulting in extremely efficient operation.   Well based geothermal heat pumps consist of a vertical (or horizontal) well of approximately 150’ length per air conditioning Ton delivered.  Wells are interconnected via a grid to achieve the capacity necessary to meet the demands of the building served.  Since a geothermal heat pump system relies on the earth to provide the heat sink, its utility is highly dependent on the soil conditions.  Test wells must be drilled to determine the heat transfer coefficients of the soil before design can begin.   While some geothermal systems serve as water heaters, they typically are used in a closed-loop water source heat pump system used to distribute or “share” the energy throughout the facility.

Benefits of Heat Pumps for De-Carbonization of the Planet

Regardless of form, heat pumps can undoubtedly help in the de-carbonization of our environment as global energy generation becomes more sustainable.  Since the heat pump system relies on the supply of clean electricity for its efficiency, the “cleanliness” of the power supply or “grid” serving the site is an important consideration in the use of heat pumps for de-carbonization reasons only. 

According to a new analysis from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), upgrading gas-burning heaters in office properties alone with efficient electric heat pumps could cut total emissions by over 44%, provided the power grid is low carbon.

Benefits of Heat Pumps for Commercial Buildings

Heat pumps are increasingly being utilized in commercial, institutional and residential buildings, such as schools, sports facilities, shops, offices, apartments and even homes. Simplicity, ample area, and affordability are all advantages of employing heat pumps for indoor areas. Since there is typically no furnace or boiler, the process is simple and clean.   Even if the supplemental heating system requires a gas-fired boiler, the use of heat pumps and high efficiency (95%+) modular boilers can make a building an energy and carbon leader.

Enhanced Energy Efficiency

With a low or no carbon heating mechanism and heat pumps serving the building, you can increase your building’s performance characteristics and show your sustainable development to stakeholders. Heat pump designs that are modular and versatile enable efficient conditioning at all times, regardless of the size of the heating or cooling load, thereby reducing energy costs and improving environmental impact studies.

Multiple ground source wells and water source heat pumps can supply active or passive cooling and heating to any size building, making low-carbon, low-energy conditioning more economical and environmentally sustainable without causing a major dent in your wallet.  Any additional up-front costs will be quickly be recovered by the energy efficiency of the system.

Reduced Operating Costs

Regardless of the initial cost of implementing a heat pump system, you can save money on your long-term energy bills if you presently condition your building using electricity, fuel oil, propane or natural gas.  When properly designed and installed, a heat pump system should not require any increased ongoing maintenance and can last anywhere from 10 to 25 years. Normal filter changing and, in the case of water source heat pumps, water treatment is still required, but the energy source is nearly maintenance free.

In the heating mode, a heat pump produces anywhere from 2 to 4 kWh of heating power for each 1 kWh of electricity consumed, making them 200 to 400 percent more efficient than electric resistance heating. While the cost of installing a heat pump varies based on the scale and complexity of the project, there is little denying that very substantial energy savings can be gained.

Final Verdict

Heat pumps are a safe, reliable and efficient type of equipment that should be given greater consideration as a viable heating, air conditioning and water heating system for all types of buildings. They can considerably increase the efficiency of a new or existing system, especially when used in conjunction with other building management technologies for a green, low carbon solution for your building.

If you need assistance with selecting an efficient heat pump for your facility, consider Schnackel Engineers. We have an experience team of highly skilled HVAC engineers that can help you select the most cost-effective solution for your buildings requirements.