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Heat Pumps –Building green foundations
Heat pumps work by extracting the inexhaustible free supply of solar energy stored naturally either in the ground, air or water and utilizing it for domestic heating and hot water. Solar energy in this form is an unlimited resource that produces no harmful emissions and requires no transportation or supply pipelines.
Heat pump efficiency is measured in Coefficient of Performance (CoP). This is the ratio of units of heat output for each unit of electricity used to drive the compressor and pump. A CoP of 4 means that for every kilowatt of electricity put in, you get 4 kilowatts of energy in the form of warm water. The flow temperature of the warm water is typically between 35 degrees Centigrade and 45 degrees Centigrade; much lower than achieved by a domestic boiler. The units can reach higher temperatures, but the CoP is then compromised. Keeping the temperature at the lower end of the scale ensures the system operates efficiently.
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Renewable Heating Technologies
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