Heat pumps for HVAC systems

The most common HVAC system in studios and offices is air conditioning using air to air heat pumps.

The heat pumps can transfer heat from one place to another and their output is more than 350% in the generation of cold (EER) or heat (COP) output compared to the electricity consumed in certain thermal conditions specified by the manufacturer of the equipment.

This output varies according to the temperature outside the building for which the HVAC system is required, that is to say, if for example an air to air heat pump is used, the colder it is outside, the harder the heat pump has to work and therefore more electricity is used by the heat pump to transfer the heat from the outside to the inside of the building.

If the temperature outside the building is on average below zero in winter, the air to air heat pumps are not very appropriate due to the drop in output. For these specific cases it is feasible to use geothermal heat pumps (water-air). This type of machine uses latent heat from the ground, which is hotter than the outside environment, to exchange the heat and transfer it inside the building to heat it.

ENERGY SAVING AND EFFICIENCY MEASURES

– Install equipment with variable frequency drives (INVERTER type) to optimize the use of the compressor and therefore reduce the amount of energy consumed.

– Install autonomous systems to control the temperature in each room or office.

– Divide the HVAC system up into zones according to what they are used for.

– Install the air to air heat pump (external unit) in areas that are sheltered from the wind or areas where more environmental heat can be absorbed.

– Limit the temperature in rooms or offices to 21ºC in the winter and 25ºC in the summer.