Heat Pumps Today

10 Nicol Low, COO at Vert Technologies, discusses how key components such as compressors can help the UK hit ambitious emissions targets. The Compressor – the key component for a sustainable heat pump rollout Advances in heat pump technology are a vital tool in the fight against climate change, though more steps need to be taken to ensure a wider rollout becomes a tangible reality. However, in order to do so, manufacturers must ensure their solutions work e ciently with refrigerants of low global warming potential (GWP) mandated by sustainability-minded legislation. Since the passage into law of net zero legislation in 2019, all industries are required to make necessary changes to decarbonise by 2050. Indeed, the need to lower carbon emissions has accelerated since then, with the Government’s April 2021 announcement of a 10 per cent increase on target reductions in carbon dioxide emissions by 2035. The necessity of this has also been underlined with the recent publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which highlighted the soon-to-be irreversible damage done to the planet. Yet steps are being taken to address this potential point of no return. Specifically, mandatory requirements to reduce carbon emissions have led to a technological boom in heat pump design, and a greater uptake of the technology in the wake of the Government’s pledge to install 600,000 heat pumps by 2028. Fast-Moving Developments While this is a clear upgrade on the 25,000 heat pumps currently being installed each year, other bodies are advocating that this figure may not be ambitious enough. For example, the Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget in December 2020 advocated that one million heat pumps should be installed by 2030. Regardless of the number, the common call to action for a significant nationwide scale-up of heat pumps production clearly October | November 2021 P O L L U T I V E R E F R I G E R A N T S compatible with greener energy sources such as heat pumps. However, the innovation has not stopped there following the advent of fifth- generation heating systems, which replace the centralised heat pump design of their fourth-generation counterparts with individual heat pumps for each property. These schemes, which can circulate water at 10-30°C, provide a more e cient method of heating, as heating can be adjusted to occupants' individual demands, further reducing energy loss. Refrigerant concerns Fifth-generation systems will likely play a key part in both the planned heat pump rollout and reaching the Government's net zero targets. Despite this, some within the industry have raised concerns surrounding the size and scalability of compressors used in heat pumps. represents an exciting opportunity for the sector to finally establish itself as viable alternative to traditional heating systems. District Heating One method in which heat pumps are being integrated into nationwide heating frameworks is through district heating systems, which use a network of pre- insulated pipes to distribute hot water for heating. To date, many UK installations are ‘third generation’ systems, and use gas-powered combined heat and power solutions or gas boilers as a centralised source for circulating water at 70-95°C. Yet, thanks to continued innovation, fourth generation district heating systems are becoming increasingly commonplace within the UK, and emissions are likely to drop precipitously as the uptake continues. These new models, which are capable of circulating water between 50-60°C, are