Energy Saving Expert's Blog

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) today published it’s long-awaited report which studied the performance of 83 GSHP and ASHP systems in the UK over at least 12 months. Here is the report.

The EST is an impartial body so we can be pretty sure that their results are presented without ulterior motive. Some of the key findings include:

1. There was a wide variation in the performance values
2. Air Source Heat Pumps (mid range COP = 2.2) give only slightly worse performance that Ground Source Heat Pumps (mid range COP = 2.3)
3. The householders reported good levels of satisfaction with their systems
4. The heat pumps reduced energy bills, particularly when replacing oil or LPG
5. The more simple installations performed better
6. A major cause of poor COP is inappropriate installation in terms of lifestyle and property as well as poor training for users in how to manage the system.
7. The best performing GSHPs had a COP of 3.2 (4 out of 54, or 7%)

Interesting snippet: “a heat pump installed in 2010 produces 9% less carbon dioxide than an average gas boiler and 28% less than an average oil boiler do per unit of heat. The potential for carbon savings will increase in future under the UK Government’s plan to decarbonise the electricity grid”.

There’s a very interesting article at http://carbonlimited.org/2009/08/11/heat-pumps-emit-more-carbon-than-gas-boilers-so-why-will-they-get-the-renewable-heat-incentive/. Basically it says that because electricity from the grid is partly generated by fossil fuel power stations and that getting this electricity to your house is inefficient, the CO2 output is actually greater if you run a GSHP system than if you run a gas boiler. The author then questions why there should be government incentives to install these systems.

This might be true, but if you power your heat pump using solar panels at your property (or buy your electricity from a green-energy-only supplier) then surely this isn’t true in that instance.

Furthermore, electricity has to be the fuel of the future (as fossil fuels run out, energy has to be sourced more and more from renewable facilities which means electricity) so it must be a good thing that people are installing these systems now.

According to an article in the Telegraph, Prince Charles has installed cutting-edge equipment to heat rooms, and provide hot water, at his Gloucestershire estate. Old Charlie Boy isn’t necessarily the best ambassador for this sort of technology (or anything else for that matter) as he comes across to many like a bit of a twerp, but he’s on the money in this case and it’s great to see someone who can afford it take these sensible steps and lead by example. It reminds me of Heather Mills when the Lib Dems wheeled her out as their celebrity endorsement. What were they thinking??? I wonder if he’ll be eligible for the government’s renewable heat incentive scheme?

Did you like the low energy heating darling?