The Importance of Heat Pump Design
The increase in demand for heat pumps is real, and it looks as though 2022 will be another big year for heat pump installations up and down the country, for all sorts of different buildings.
Why Is Design So Crucial?
It is important to understand that the design considerations for heat pumps, compared to standard fossil fuel heating systems, are very different. In fact the sizing of a heat pump is one the most crucial aspects of any heat pump system. There are a few reasons why the design is so crucial:
The Principle of Steady State Heat Loss
Boilers are massively oversized compared to the needs of the house. This means that boilers can produce significantly more heat than the property needs. This is why boilers typically operate in an ON/OFF manner. This is very inefficient, however so long as homeowners are warm, this isn’t usually too much of a consideration.
Heat pumps use the principle of steady state heat loss. This means that heat pumps are sized to the maximum heat load of the property - the amount of heat needed during the deep midwinter. Heat pumps are then set to run all the time, simply modulating their output to meet the needs of the house, and keep it at a steady temperature. Naturally, this means that more thought needs to be given to the heat load of the property, at it is important that the company designing your heat pump knows how to do this.
The sizing of a heat pump will vary on property to property. Many things can affect this too, for example the overall floor areas, ceiling heights and all sorts of insulation levels including glazing, wall insulation, floor insulation and on and on… To ensure that all of this is factored in when having a heat pump system designed, you should use a MCS approved installer for heat pumps.
The Principle of Distribution Design
In order to delivery heat into your property, there needs to be a means to do so. Typically, this is a radiator or underfloor heating distribution system (or a combination of the two). Heated water flows through, emitting heat into the property to keep it warm. The key equation for distribution system design is that the bigger the surface area of the emitter, the lower the flow temperature you can get away with in order to deliver the required amount of heat into the room. This is why underfloor heating is regarded as efficient, because it can operate with a lower flow temperature of water, which in turn is more efficient for the heat pump (or boiler) to produce.
Now with boiler systems, often very little consideration is given to distribution design. There is always a temperature that the boiler can reach in order to deliver enough heat into the room. Again, this is inefficient, however so long as the house is warm and the gas bills aren’t too high, customers don’t tend to mind. With a heat pump system, heat pumps are not capable of these extremely high temperatures, and the savings made by operating at a low flow temperature are substantial. As such, it is crucially important that the distribution system (i.e. the radiators or the underfloor heating) are designed to suit both the property and the heat pump system.
Again, the key to this is finding a supplier which has the capability to carry out these calculations. Whilst there is no rocket science involved, the calculations are thorough and need to be carefully considered.
Why is MCS Important?
MCS stands for Microgeneration Certification Scheme and it is a nationally recognised quality assurance scheme. To become an MCS accredited installer, you have to meet certain criteria in order to under heat pump systems under the scheme:
Demonstrate robust business processes
Demonstrate quality control through the quality of your installations
Demonstrate that you have the necessary skill and expertise to design heat pump systems
MCS is a key consideration for anyone who is considering claiming the government grants for eligible installations, such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). Unless your heat pump installation is MCS accredited, you cannot claim any Government support.
What if I (or my Installer) is not MCS?
If you are an installer and you are not MCS accredited then do not worry; this is where Alto Energy can help out.
Alto Energy offer a MCS Umbrella Scheme so that qualified heating installers can install heat pumps to MCS standards under our design and commissioning umbrella. We take care of all the design, supply, technical support, commissioning, and crucially, the MCS certification. We also offer free training either at our HQ in Oxfordshire, or online on Zoom. So whether you’re totally new to heat pumps, or would simply like to refresh your knowledge and understand how we work, our training sessions provide the perfect springboard into getting up and running with our MCS Umbrella Scheme.
If you are considering installing a heat pump then contact Alto Energy today. We will ensure you have a properly designed, fully complaint, high quality, MCS certified heat pump solution for your project.