The Future of Efficient Heat Pumps for Home Retrofits

CIBSE Technical Symposium, DeMontfort University, Leicester UK
6th and 7th September 2011

Heat pumps are proven energy efficient devices for heating applications. While numerous concepts exist, the market is dominated by single stage vapour compression units which at best have a poor performance when utilised with traditional high temperature radiator systems found in existing homes. System enhancements that reduce sink temperatures such as under-floor heating and convector radiators have additional challenges when considering domestic retrofit applications. Thus for higher delivery temperatures, typically using ambient air as a heat source, alternative heat pumps include gas-fired adsorption and advanced vapour compression heat pumps such as economised vapour injection, energy recovery turbines and cascade heat pumps. In each case, the heat pump has been or is intended to be deployed with the minimum of householder disturbance. Results from all systems will be presented and implications for future primary inputs will be highlighted as well as implications for domestic retrofit in the UK.