Heat pumps: how do they work and what’s their positive impact on the environment?

There’s an increasing amount of talk about heat pumps but people are still not sure exactly how they work and what their real positive impact on the environment is. Let’s find out about all this with Ariston, who has always been at the forefront in offering heating and water heating solutions capable of reconciling domestic comfort, energy saving and sensibility on environmental issues.

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Heat pumps can deliver extremely efficient heating and cooling in both economic and environmental terms, provided they are installed and used correctly. So, it’s important to understand the main characteristics of this particular kind of heating solution: let’s find out together!

What is a heat pump?
A heat pump is a renewable energy production system that transfers heat between two spaces at different temperatures. We refer to heat pumps in terms of the source and destination of heat: air-air, air-water, water-water, water-air or ground (soil)-water.
Of these, the commonest types used in people’s homes today are:
- air-air heat pumps, which use outdoor air to heat (or if necessary cool) the air indoors;
- air–water heat pumps, in which the energy in outdoor air is transferred to water to provide heating or cooling.





How do heat pumps work?

Heat pumps work in a way similar with fridges. They are both devices that consist of a closed circuit containing a refrigerant fluid which is the working fluid of the refrigerant cycle: in its gaseous state, it is pressurized by a compressor, then the now hot and highly pressurized vapour is cooled in a heat exchanger, called condenser, until it condenses into a high pressure liquid. The condensed refrigerant then passes through an expansion valve. The low-pressure liquid refrigerant then enters another heat exchanger, the evaporator, in which the fluid absorbs heat and boils. The refrigerant then returns to the compressor and the cycle is repeated.
During this cycle, the refrigerant gas absorbs the thermal energy in the outdoor air and then releases heat to the indoor air or water, depending on whether it’s an air-air or air-water heat pump.
Further, many devices, such as Ariston’s NIMBUS COMPACT M NET air-water heat pump, also have a reversible valve that enables the system to work in the opposite direction to produce cold air.
I will also add a paragraph like above on water heating heat pump (Nous)
What’s the impact on the environment?
Heat pumps produce a considerable positive impact on the environment because they:
- don’t use combustible fuel;
- work mainly on inexhaustible energy sources, supplied by nature itself, such as air;
- use only a small amount of electrical energy, needed for running the refrigerant cycle;
- can be combined with a solar power system, in which case all the energy used is renewable.
For all these reasons, government decided some years ago to class the purchasing and installation of heat pumps as operations designed to improve energy efficiency in homes: click here to find out about the tax relief you may be entitled to. (for italian market)
What are the economic advantages?
Heat pumps can help you save up to 70%* on your annual electricity bill compared to traditional systems