Now is the time to act and start changing the way we heat and cool our homes. Paul Taylor of Panasonic discusses the significant role that heat pumps can play in helping to reduce emissions, energy consumption and costs.

Decarbonisation is high on the agenda as developers look to lower carbon emissions from homes, with the average eco-home design capable of cutting energy bills by 30%.

Today’s air source heat pumps are reliable, quiet in operation and highly energy efficient – when compared to oil-fired boilers or electric heaters – and can play a large part in lowering carbon emissions. Further efficiencies can also be achieved when systems are linked to smart controllers to produce significant savings for heating and domestic hot water (DHW) provision. 

Manufacturers are currently increasing their range of sustainable energy solutions designed for residential applications. One example is the air-to-water heat pumps, these heat pumps, together with smart remote controls, monitoring, fault diagnosis and rectification technology, can provide a comprehensive and energy efficient solution minimising carbon emissions while maintaining occupant comfort.

SMART CONTROLS

Smart cloud-based solutions can remotely monitor the suction and discharge pressure of a heat pump unit to help reduce system downtime, thus ensuring that they have a heating, cooling and hot water system that suits their individual daily needs.

Cloud controls have been introduced to the industry to enable direct communication between heat pump units and controllers. This integration allows building owners and portfolio managers to view all their heating and cooling units anytime and from anywhere via a single interface and via mobile devices such as tablet, mobile or laptop, plus delivers actionable real time insights to help reduce energy consumption and drive savings.

Using this smart technology, users can access a detailed breakdown of the system’s energy consumption from 60 minutes to seven days and schedule the settings to ensure a constant and comfortable temperature throughout. This can help end users compare space utilisation and adjust the system so that energy is not wasted. It is crucial for installers to draw attention to this added value that a smart control system can offer these incredible benefits from the IoT revolution. 

By optimising a systems operation with remote monitoring in this way, it is possible to extend the life of the heat pump unit, thanks to status updates and preventive maintenance, ensuring a positive return on investment. Operational costs can also be improved with the advanced, pre-programmed settings, the ability to fix yearly scheduling, energy saving modes, see statistics, permit tailored access to different users and more which deliver advanced energy savings. 

By using intuitive simple smart cloud controls, homeowners and installers can easily get to grips with this new technology, via an app on their mobile phone or laptop and by using a familiar interface.

SUCCESSFUL TRIALS SHOWCASE LOW CARBON FUTURE

Switching from a familiar technology such as gas boilers to renewable alternatives can be challenging. Developer Gleeson Homes have been testing the energy efficiency of heat pumps with a three-bedroom detached home ‘The Kildare’ at their latest development in Poolsbrook, Chesterfield. ‘The Kildare’ was fitted with a 5 kW Panasonic Aquarea monobloc ASHP and had its performance benchmarked against an identical, but
gas boiler heated home, located on another nearby Gleeson development. A trial that is also being carried out at two other Gleeson developments in England.

The final examination of the trial property fitted with the heat pumps, provided great insight for the Gleeson Homes team regarding the ease of installation and energy efficiency benefits of using heat pumps. Gleeson Homes has now planned a controlled roll-out of heat pumps within 1000’s of its properties, of which 256 homes in South Lincolnshire have already commenced construction. 

In conclusion, by switching to air to water heat pumps to provide heating to our homes, housing emissions can be lowered significantly by incorporating this energy efficient solution. Air to water heat pumps is the future for the housing sector and an essential step in addressing the climate change problem. 

Paul Taylor is UK head of air-to-water for Panasonic