| In this environmentally friendly world | | | | with an output rating of I00 watts but |
| that we all live in certain steps have | | | | with an energy usage of only 20 watts. |
| to be taken to ensure that there is | | | | Remember, we spend very little on |
| still a world for people to inhabit in | | | | electricity for light bulbs in our homes |
| the future. People all over the world | | | | compared to running our heating and hot |
| are looking at ways to help save energy | | | | water systems - so the savings are much |
| and the world's resources. | | | | greater. |
| Household heating is a major consumer of | | | | The attraction of running a heating |
| energy so whatever can be developed to | | | | system this efficiently is obvious. It |
| reduce the effect on the environment has | | | | saves money and makes a real |
| got to be a step in the right direction. | | | | contribution towards a low or even zero |
| By extracting heat from the ground or | | | | carbon building and towards reducing the |
| air (geothermal energy) and then | | | | devastating impact of climate change. |
| compressing it to raise the temperature | | | | It's worth recalling how, by 2016, every |
| significantly, the heat generated can | | | | new home in the UK will need to be rated |
| then be used for water or space heating. | | | | 'zero carbon'. Given that the law in |
| Since there is quite a lot of heat | | | | this area is getting tougher all the |
| energy in even very cold materials, heat | | | | time and the 2016 date is now fixed, new |
| pumps can use sources that appear to be | | | | business opportunities are growing |
| very unpromising. For example, if the | | | | rapidly. |
| temperature of the air is 5 degrees C, | | | | More and more heat pumps will be |
| that might appear to be too cold to | | | | installed in the coming years which can |
| extract any heat. | | | | only be good news for the environment. |
| In reality 5 degrees C is pretty hot | | | | Pioneering companies have already gotten |
| compared to absolute zero (-273 degrees | | | | to grips with issues around the ground |
| C) and therefore an air source heat pump | | | | works required and enterprising trades |
| can produce useable heat all year round. | | | | people are discovering how they can |
| Think of your deep freeze. Heat | | | | become part of the future of our |
| continues to be extracted from that area | | | | industry. |
| even though it's well below freezing. | | | | The next generation of heat pump |
| Heat pumps can use air, water and, | | | | technology that is even easier to |
| increasingly commonly, the ground below | | | | install, and operate further reduces |
| your feet as a source of energy. Ground | | | | running costs and improves the already |
| water is a particularly useful source of | | | | impressive efficiency which will make |
| heat since it rarely gets much colder | | | | the models of the future even more |
| than 7 degrees C. | | | | appealing to the mass market. |
| Unlike more conventional heating or air | | | | These will offer air, water and ground |
| conditioning, heat pumps minimise | | | | source heat pumps to suit all household |
| pollution and fuel use. | | | | heating needs, helping to reduce the |
| By utilising entirely free and renewable | | | | cost of heating water for your bath as |
| geothermal sources of energy they are | | | | well as heating the whole house during |
| very low carbon and very economic to | | | | the colder months. |
| run. During hotter summer months the | | | | In addition to being powerful systems in |
| latest models can even be run in reverse | | | | their own right the heat pumps of the |
| to passively extract heat from inside a | | | | future even come ready to connect to a |
| home and 'dump it' into the ground. This | | | | solar heating system, complete with |
| method of cooling is one of the lowest | | | | flat-panel collector array and solar |
| carbon and lowest energy approaches | | | | cylinder, providing an integration of |
| available. | | | | solar energy and heat pump for domestic |
| For every unit of electrical power | | | | hot water and central heating. |
| needed to extract the heat, up to six | | | | Heat pumps will make a huge difference |
| units of heat can be obtained. That's | | | | to the way we heat our homes as well as |
| right, heat pumps can be up to 600 per | | | | making a big difference, for the better |
| cent efficient. | | | | on the environment. |
| It's like buying a low-energy light bulb | | | | |