Scottish Energy Saving | A Quick Guide To Heat Pumps 2020
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June 30, 2020What is a Solar Assisted Heat Pump?
A Solar Assisted Heat Pump is a Split unit Air to Water Heat Pump Water Heater.
They extract heat from the outside air very much in the same way that a fridge extracts heat from its inside.
In that way, they share the same refrigeration principles as other heat pumps, the closest heat pump relative being a Air Source Heat Pump Water Heater, however…
Where an Air Source Heat Pump Water Heater has:
* A 60 dB, 10+ year LE rotary compressor
* An enclosed finned tube heat exchanger (evaporator)
* A fan to convect air over the evaporator
* A condense pump & drain
A Solar Assisted Heat Pump has:
* A 41db, 20+ year LE reciprocating compressor
* an externally sited aluminium roll bond heat exchanger (evaporator)
In addition to extracting heat from the outside air, Solar Assisted Heat Pumps also receive efficiency uplifts from solar irradiance on the externally sited & exposed, large surface area, aluminium roll bond heat exchanger panel when the sun is shining down on it.
In summary Solar Assisted Heat Pumps share the same basic principles of operation as Hybrid  Water Heater does, but utilises passive convection (wind) rather than forced convection,  have fewer moving parts (only 1), fewer maintenance actions (no filters or finned heat exchangers or condense drains), lower electrical consumption, low noise levels AND additionally they utilise solar irradiance.
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