Can Retro-fitting Air-to-water Heat Pumps provide significant CO2 reductions?

Session 6 Paper 2, CIBSE Technical Symposium , Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool
11-12 April 2013

This paper considers the CO2e reductions the integration of an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) with an existing, post 2005, fossil fuel boiler using existing emitters and pipework may offer, given the heat pumps ability to upgrade electrical energy to enhanced delivered heat energy using renewable resources.

Combining information from thermal modelling and a Physical Science Experiment ( PSE) all based on a donor dwelling, this paper also considers the effects of the lower flow and return temperatures of the heat pump, the changeover temperature between ASHP and boiler, the suitability of existing emitters, the CO2e emissions of gas, oil, LPG boilers and ASHP bivalent systems, plus capital and running costs.

It concludes that CO2e and financial savings are possible, the scale being dependant on the displaced fuel, the controls system employed, the suitability of the equipment selection and quality of installation.