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11 major heat pump benefits

Heat pump benefits

Whether you know a lot or a little about heat pumps, you’re probably wondering one thing… are heat pumps really as good as they sound?

Well… yes! This green technology comes with tons of advantages. Here are just a few of the key air source heat pump benefits.

What are the key benefits of heat pumps?

Heat pumps are often described as an environmentally friendly way to heat houses and business premises. And it’s true!

But they offer far more than just that.

Check out these air source heat pump advantages for the full lowdown.

1. Energy efficient

One of the biggest benefits of air source heat pumps is their energy efficiency.

Air source heat pumps are three or four times more efficient than gas boilers.

In fact, while the most efficient boilers can reach around 98% efficiency, air source heat pumps can reach around 300% efficiency.

If you’re wondering how that’s possible, consider that heat pumps don’t actually create heat. Instead, they transfer it from one place to another, using a small amount of electricity.

This is far more energy efficient than generating heat from scratch.

2. Low running costs

Another heat pump advantage is their low running costs.

Heat pumps only use a small amount of electricity – in fact, just 25% of the energy used by an air source heat pump is typically provided by electricity.

The rest is generated by the environment through the air.

This means you’ll actually generate more heat than the electricity you use to power your heat pump, allowing you to keep your energy bills down.

Electrification of heat by using a heat pump also opens up the opportunity to use power at times when it’s cheap. This is called grid flexibility and will be a key part of our energy future.

Oversizing your thermal store makes this an even better opportunity, and can dramatically cut utility costs by up to 20%.

3. Environmentally friendly

As we’ve touched upon already, heat pumps are an eco-friendly way to heat a building.

This comes down to two main factors.

Firstly, they’re sustainable – they use the air to provide heat, which is a natural energy source.

And secondly, they don’t produce emissions – which makes them much better for the environment than traditional boilers.

It’s true that much of the UK’s electricity is still generated by fossil fuels. However, the proportion of renewable energy supplied to the National Grid is increasing.

Plus, there are options for powering your heat pump using solar power or other renewable energy sources if you prefer, which would reduce your carbon footprint still more.

You can also further lessen your heat pump’s impact on the environment by opting for a heat pump that uses natural refrigerants as opposed to chemical ones.

These refrigerants are just as effective (if not more so!) but, unlike harmful F-gases, they have a very low GWP and won’t release forever chemicals known as PFAS into the environment – making them a no-brainer for both people and the plant.

4. Versatile

Another huge heat pump benefit is their versatility.

A common misconception is that heat pumps are only suited to providing space heating. But in reality, they’re a great solution for domestic hot water (DHW) too.

Similarly, while traditional boilers can only provide heating, heat pumps can be set up to offer both heating and cooling in a single system.

This can be extremely useful for businesses in areas where temperatures fluctuate throughout the year, as building owners won’t have to invest in and maintain separate heating and cooling systems.

Ultimately, heat pumps are a great solution for lots of different settings and heating needs. At Clade, we’ve supplied heat pumps to schools, libraries and even swimming pools! And they can work for both new and old buildings.

Which brings us onto…

5. Easy to retrofit

You might think that heat pumps are most suited to new buildings, but this doesn’t have to be the case.

Rather, air source heat pumps are a viable heating option for most existing buildings – both residential and commercial. And retrofitting a heat pump can be a lot easier than you might think.

The key lies in choosing a refrigerant with a similar temperature differential (or Delta T) as those used by traditional boilers – like the natural refrigerant R290 (propane).

This reduces the number of changes that you’ll need to make to your building’s existing infrastructure, minimising disruption and cutting installation costs.

At Clade, we’ve actually developed a groundbreaking high temperature heat pump called the Elm.

This R290 heat pump operates at 80C flow with a 10C differential, which is as close to traditional boiler temperatures as it’s possible to get with a heat pump – meaning it can be used as a direct swap.

In this way, you shouldn’t even have to change your building’s radiators or underfloor heating!

Retrofit heat pumps

6. Long lifespan

Heat pumps have a robust design with minimal moving parts.

This means they tend to require very little maintenance in comparison to traditional boilers.

It also gives them a high life expectancy.

On average, you can expect your heat pump to last double the lifespan of a typical domestic boiler – while boilers will typically last around 10 to 12 years, heat pumps should last over 20.

At Clade, we even offer regular heat pump maintenance to help you keep your heat pump in optimal condition and maintain its efficiency.

As part of this, one of our qualified engineers will inspect your system yearly, which can prolong the life of your heat pump system even more.

7. Consistent

Some people worry that air source heat pumps won’t be able to operate effectively in cold ambient temperatures.

But in reality, air source heat pumps can maintain consistent indoor temperatures throughout the year, regardless of variable ambient conditions.

Heat pumps are designed in such a way that it doesn’t actually need to be warm outside for them to be able to extract warmth from the air.

As an example, our CO2 heat pumps can operate at extremely low ambient temperatures, due to the fact that CO2 has a higher pressure as compared to other refrigerants and therefore the compressor envelopes are much wider.

In this way, as long as your heat pump design accurately takes into account your ambient temperatures and usage, you can confidently rely on it to meet your heating needs whatever the weather.

8. Controllable

Heat pumps can be used as part of a wider climate controlled system and easily integrate with a range of controls.

At Clade, the majority of our heat pumps are also remote monitoring and smart enabled.

This means our experts can monitor your heat pump’s performance remotely from our headquarters in Leeds and make any necessary adjustments.

It also allows us to assess your heat pump’s predicted performance against its actual performance as part of our performance guarantee.

If, following installation, commissioning and a 6 month run-in period, the heat pump doesn’t meet the guaranteed performance, we’ll refund the cost of your heat pump and remove it from site – giving you peace of mind and demonstrating just how confident we are in the quality of our products!

9. No fuel deliveries

Most buildings that aren’t connected to the gas network rely on alternative fuels such as oil or LPG.

In this case, the fuel needs to be delivered – which can be time-consuming and costly.

It also needs to be stored on-site, which can take up valuable space.

On the other hand, a heat pump is a solution that doesn’t require mains gas and removes the need for fuel to be delivered and stored.

10. Futureproof

With climate change a major concern in today’s world, heat decarbonisation is slowly but surely moving up the government’s priority list.

With that in mind, switching to a heat pump is a great way to prevent your heating system from becoming a stranded asset in the near future.

That said, it’s important to note that the majority of heat pumps manufactured today still contain harmful F-gases such as HFCs and HFOs.

Regulations restricting the use of both are likely to increase in severity over time. Already, HFCs are being phased out because their impact on climate change is thousands of times bigger than the same amount of carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, HFOs are the subject of litigation due to the PFAS they contain.

That’s why we believe the safest option (for both the planet and your heating system’s future) is to opt for a natural refrigerant heat pump.

At Clade, we only use natural refrigerants – as well as being a great way to safeguard your heat pump’s longevity, they don’t contribute to climate change and they can even achieve higher coefficient of performance (COP) at low ambients and higher flow temperatures than synthetic refrigerants.

11. Incentives

Last but not least, the government wants you to switch to a green heating system. So, there are incentives available to encourage you to make the leap.

There’s a range of heat pump grants and funding schemes available to organisations, including:

However, the only support widely available to non-public sector organisations are tax breaks – it’s likely that heat pumps will qualify for the 50% first year allowance (FYA) for special rate plant and machinery.

Just bear in mind that we’re not tax advisors and each case may be different. So, always get the proper advice first!

Alternatively, we can help most businesses to spread out the initial cost of an air source heat pump with commercial heat pump financing.

Not only does our heat-as-a-service offering remove the upfront investment, but it also includes a full service package so that you don’t have to worry about any maintenance or servicing costs.

Let us help you unlock the benefits of an air source heat pump

Ready to unlock all of these excellent heat pump advantages? We can help.

Our team of experts can design, manufacture and install a commercial air source heat pump bespoke to your business’ needs.

Just get in touch and we’ll be happy to scope out your project so you can start reaping the benefits of a heat pump in no time.