Swimming pool and domestic heating and heat pumps

What You Need to Know About Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps
Air conditioners and heat pumps keep your home cool in summers, but there are a lot o important facts about these appliances that most people are unaware of. Here is some information about these products that might influence your purchase decision.
R22 Freon Phaseout from Air Conditioners
When buying a new air conditioner, you can now only go for those which use Puron as a refrigerant instead of R22 Freon, which was commonly used before 2010. R22 Freon is harmful to the ozone layer and it has been banned from use in new air conditioners from 2010.
If you already own an air conditioner that uses R22 Freon then you will still be able to get the refrigerant from the market for service or repair purposes. But you should know that as more and more companies will shut down production of R22 Freon, its prices could shoot up. So if your air conditioning system is old and in need of repair then it might be a good idea to replace it with a Puron based system, instead of prolonging your use of R22 Freon.
Heat Pumps – Go for a Hybrid Product
Heat pumps are special appliances that have the dual benefit of providing heat in winters and cooling in summers. The system is able to do it through reversal of flow of refrigerants. In heating mode, the heat pump transfers heat from outside air to inside air and in cooling mode it takes heat from inside to outside.
The problem is that electricity based heat pumps work only till temperatures of -5°C. If the temperature goes further down, then you need to switch to a furnace. With Hybrid Heat systems, this problem is solved by automatically switching to the furnace mode when temperature falls below -5°C.
Such a hybrid heating system is not dependant on one type of fuel – either electricity or gas. They ensure that you can deal with a sudden increase in price of one type of fuel. There are many highly efficient and affordable Hybrid Heat products in the market that you can choose from. One of the best options that you have is the Bryant 18 SEER Evolution Heat Pump.
Another advantage with using Hybrid Heat systems is that some utility companies provide financial incentives for using them. You can avail loans and rebates on purchase of high efficiency heat pumps.

By Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, March 29, 2009

A solution to Florida’s sky-high electric bills could be right under our feet.

Dig down a couple of yards below the surface, and you’ll find Florida’s earth stays at a steady 72 degrees, a perfect heater in winter and a cool respite in summer.

“I think there is an enormous untapped potential in the country,” said Jeff Tester, an expert in geothermal energy at Cornell University in New York.

Florida lacks the scorching heat and steam that makes geothermal electricity, but its balmy earth can help Florida save power. By some estimates, home­owners can cut their heating and cooling bills by 50 percent or more. The technology has been around for decades but has only recently begun to gain traction.

“People really don’t know about it yet,” said Fred Mayes, a senior technology analyst at the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the Department of Energy. “People have seen solar panels before, but may not think of geothermal heat pumps.”

Now, with generous new federal subsidies, could geothermal become Florida’s next big thing?

• • •

To sell a geothermal system, you’ve got to start with education, said Todd Boudreau, who has installed dozens of geothermal heat pumps. Few homeowners know how they work.

“It hasn’t been widely publicized the way it should have been, but with things changing in our economy, and rising utility costs the way they are, people are very interested in how to save money,” Boudreau said.

In most ways, geothermal systems in Florida work the same as a regular air-conditioning system, Boudreau said. Both systems use a combination of refrigerant and compression to transfer heat in or out until the house reaches the desired temperature. For the customer, the thermostat is almost exactly the same.

To understand the big difference, think of the Earth as a giant battery heated by the sun. Geothermal taps that natural battery by snaking a pipe a thousand or so feet long under the surface. It is filled with water, or a mix of water and other fluid, like antifreeze. The loop can be laid in horizontal squiggles snaking under a property at a depth of six to 10 feet. If the lot is small, the ground loop can be drilled vertically to depths of several hundred feet.

In Florida’s colder months, the ground loop absorbs the ground’s 72 degree heat and transfers it to a heat exchanger, where it becomes hotter. A fan then draws the home’s air through the system, heating the air and circulating it back through the house.

In cooling mode, a fan sucks hot air from the house into the system, where the heat in the air is removed. Just like your fridge, the heat is removed from the inside and transferred outside, in this case to the cool ground.

Why is geothermal more efficient than conventional systems?

In winter, it uses the ground’s heat instead of burning fossil fuels or using electricity to make heat. In summer, the ground acts as a natural condenser, replacing the electric condenser.

The system is also more efficient because of the ground temperature. For instance, in the summer a conventional unit transfers hot air from the home to the hot air outside. Geothermal systems transfer the hot air to the cold ground. The cold ground is better at absorbing the heat than the hot outside air.

To think of it another way, when you jump into a cold lake on a hot day you lose body heat much faster than if you are standing on the shore.

As a bonus, the geothermal system transfers heat all year long to the home’s water pipes, giving customers free hot water.

The Energy Department estimates that it cuts electric bills by 25 to 50 percent. Boudreau said energy savings in Florida can reach 80 percent.

“The benefits of this are unbelievable,” Boudreau said.

• • •

If it works so well, why isn’t everybody doing it?

“That old four-letter word: cost,” Mayes answered.

Boudreau estimated that a geothermal system costs about two to three times a conventional heating and air-conditioning system. In these tough times, it’s hard to talk a homeowner into parting with that kind of cash.

Andy Bednarz, a pilot, recently installed a geothermal heat pump at his new lakeside property in Lutz. He got a $9,000 estimate for a conventional four-ton system but decided to spend $23,000 on a geothermal system.

His old 2,000-square-foot house had power bills from $265 to $350 a month. His new 2,359-square-foot-house has power bills of about $150 a month.

“It seems like a big bite, and I don’t like to give away money by any means, but I did some higher math, and this should pay for itself in six years,” Bednarz said.

Boudreau agreed, saying the typical payback time is four to six years. The systems are quieter and last 25 to 30 years, two to three times longer than conventional systems. Replacement costs are comparable because the drilling only need be done once.

It’s a logic that appeals to home­owners facing rising electric bills, Boudreau side. His company, Air Conditioning Solutions, has seen sales double in recent years as his handful of satisfied customers spread the word to neighbors, friends and family. Although it’s still just a fraction of his business, he’s seeing more interest than he has in the past.

“People are willing to spend money to save money,” he said.

• • •

Bednarz is part of an upward trend in geothermal.

Florida has been on the leading edge of the growth. The state is home to one of the best-known heat pump manufacturers, and it is among the top five states for installing geothermal heat pumps, and is also in the top five for exporting them to other states.

Shipments of geothermal heat pump capacity increased 53 percent in 2006 and 19 percent in 2007, according to a recent report from Mayes’ office. In 2007, the most recent year Mayes has numbers for, the United States shipped enough geothermal heat pumps to heat and cool 97,000 U.S. homes.

Despite the steep growth, geothermal heat pumps make up a tiny share of the market. In 2005, the pumps were installed in just one in every 1,000 U.S. homes, the Energy Information Administration estimates. Even with the annual growth predicted between now and 2030, it estimates that only slightly more than one in every 100 U.S. homes will have geothermal heat pumps.

The recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act might kick-start interest in the heat pumps. The stimulus legislation gives homeowners a tax credit that covers 30 percent of the cost of the system.

“We don’t know that answer yet, but it should bump it up a little bit,” said John Symbalsky, a research analyst with the Energy Information Administration.

Boudreau thinks he knows what the response will be. Armed with information on the new tax credits, he’s already fielding calls from potential customers.

Did you know? • The average U.S. homeowner uses a 3-ton system for heating and cooling. • Geothermal heat pumps can cut electricity use by 25 percent to 50 percent. • Geothermal heat pumps have been used in some cold states to melt snow on driveways and walkways. • The underground coils for geothermal heat pumps are expected to last 50 years or more. • Geothermal heat pumps are expected to last 25 years. • Source: Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy

A green future where you can borrow cars and drink rainwater

* Alok Jha
* The Guardian, Saturday 28 March 2009
* Article history

A low-carbon economy will be the culmination of thousands of decisions by governments, businesses and individuals about how we choose to balance environment and economy. There isn’t one correct future but many, with each detail in each country dependent on the will of its people.

One thing is certain, though. Anyone concerned about having to give up their modern lifestyle for an austere existence can rest easy. The big differences between now and the low-carbon future will not be the way the world looks or what we will be able to do in it, but how it is arranged.

The biggest hurdle is electricity. Three-quarters of our global electricity needs come from burning fossil fuels. The low-carbon future will demand that none of that electricity emits carbon dioxide. So every gas or coal-fired power plant, of which there will be many in China and India, will have carbon-capture technology to trap and store CO2 underground. Renewable sources including wind, tide, wave and sun will, through investment in basic research in the coming decades, be commercially viable. Far from being forbidding installations belching out carbon dioxide, renewable power stations will be smaller, emit no CO2 and tap into near-limitless supplies of free fuel.

Clean electricity will have a knock-on effect on the other modern carbon nasty - transport. When electricity is cheap and clean, there is no reason not to use its power as much as possible. Electric cars, buses, lorries and high-speed trains will move us and our goods, yet make no contribution to global warming. Though mass public transport will be the travel mode of choice, personal cars will remain. You might not own one yourself, instead borrowing from clubs when needed. By planning towns around pedestrians and investing in cycle lanes, local councils will encourage travel under two miles to be under your own steam or by hydrogen buses.

Flying will be a problem. Improved aerodynamics, lighter aircraft and mixing biofuels into jet fuel will bring down the carbon cost of air miles. Carbon reductions in energy production and road transport will mitigate some of the rise in emissions from the growth in flights in China and India, but environmental campaigners will not be satisfied. Expect punishing taxes on plane tickets, tied to their carbon cost, to discourage flying unless there really is no alternative. In these situations, a personal carbon-rationing system, linked to national CO2 emissions targets, will allow individuals to emit a certain amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

But the number of long journeys, particularly for work, will drop dramatically as high-speed internet connections enable high-quality video conferences and easy communications for people on different sides of the world. Many people will stop commuting to their offices or factories, preferring to work from home.

Homes might look the same, for nostalgic reasons, but will be fundamentally different. Bricks coated with solar paint will be held together with cement that soaks up CO2 from the air around it. Triple-glazed windows will reduce the need for heating in winter and cooling in summer.

Only the most energy-efficient fridges and washing machines will be available to buy while LEDs in lamps and displays will turn electricity into light efficiently instead of wasting most of it as heat. Automatic controls will warm rooms only when needed and switch appliances and lights off when they’re not needed.

Our throwaway culture will disappear. By encouraging people to re-use as much as possible, less waste will end up in landfill and the carbon in our possessions (the stuff emitted to make our clothes, toys or furniture) wil not be wasted. Products will be made to last and, when they come to the end of their useful life, be repaired rather than thrown away. Packaging will be virtually nonexistent and, where it exists, will be recyclable or compostable.

People will use water more carefully. Rain will be collected from home and office rooftops and filtered using carbon-free electricity so that it is drinkable. Any water drained away in a building will be recycled and treated locally to wash clothes or flush toilets. Bottled water will be banned.

Food will come from local farms or factories to reduce the carbon cost of transport. Meat lovers, because of their high-carbon diets, will have to use up their personal carbon rations whenever they bite into a steak or else make sure their food comes from local, sustainable farms that produce meat artificially.

Locally-produced electricity will also play a big part in keeping homes carbon free. Solar thermal panels, community-based combined heat and power plants running on carbon-neutral wood chips, micro wind turbines and ground source heat pumps mean that local districts won’t need all their power from today’s centralised power stations. Local heat and power networks could even feed into the national grid during times of great demand.

This is one of many visions for a low-carbon world in 2050. It seems a long way off and whether we get there depends on decisions made over the next few years.

Matthew Claxton, Langley Advance
Published: Tuesday, March 03, 2009

The water treatment plant in Aldergrove will soon use less energy thanks to a heat pump.

Langley Township will share in a $100,000 project that will help cut greenhouse gases at the Aldergrove Water Treatment Plant.

A new thermal recovery pump system will be jointly funded by the province, the federal government and the Township, with each partner taking on a third of the costs.

The project is part of the first wave of infrastructure projects that will break ground quickly across B.C. The federal and provincial governments are pouring money into infrastructure in an attempt to ward off the looming recession.

The new system for the Aldergrove plant will consist of a new thermal recovery pump system that will take heat from the groundwater that is processed through the plant, reducing the reliance on natural gas at the plant.

“Grants that help improve infrastructure in our community are always appreciated, especially when the environment will benefit as well,” said Township Mayor Rick Green.

He also thanked Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich Coleman and Langley MP Mark Warawa for helping to bring the project to the Township.

“I am especially pleased, as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment, that Langley is taking a leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Warawa said.

“This will provide more sustainable and better treatment of our water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Coleman said.

This project is one of 41 projects across the province that will break ground quickly thanks to a joint federal-provincial investment of $110 million.

In Langley City, a $9-million joint project will see the bridge over the Nicomekl River at Fraser Highway replaced with a new four-lane span.

Analysis of: HPTCJ (Heat Pump & Thermal Storage Technology Center of Japan) (www.hptcj.or.jp)

Implications: Please see attached URL of HPTCJ. Japanese Heat pump technology is very well. And, advanced Japanese Green enagy companies prepare the great products. The name is “Ecocute”. It use Heat pump technology.When that products or technology with Solar Thermal use overseas Japan, especially large amount of sunlight region, those save the Earth on the Verge of Global Warming.

Analysis: Though it is natural, Heal pump is Thermal strage system.
As well you know, Solar thermal plant construction cost is cheeper than Photovoltaic plant and it is easier to maintenance than wind power plant.
But, Solar Thermal plant cannot use in the dark night or small amount of sunlight region.
When Solar Thermal and the heat pump supplement each other, Solar Thermal can be used anywhere on the earth.

The night comes to the desert where a lot of amount of sunlight, and the daytime comes to the Northern Europe.
So, there is sunshiny anywhere (Though there is bigness and smallness of the amount) on the earth.
The thermal storage of excessive sunshiny in daytime can be done to the heat pump in the desert. And, electricity can be generated by the thermal storage energy at nighttime.
The thermal storage energy can be used to supplement Solar thermal planti n Northern Europe.

Heat pump technology is established already. In Japan, “Ecocute” of home Heat pump system is used over 1.5 million sets right now.
Certainly, Solar thermal plant is developing and it might be a technology that directionality is not consolidated.
However, PS10 in Spain with a capacity of 11MW large-scale Solar thermal plant is constructed by BlightSource Energy. In South Africa, a 100MW solar power plant is planned with 4000 to 5000 heliostat mirrors, each having an area of 140 m².
Solar thermal runs fast in spite of chaos.
I feel that there is a phoenix only in chaos.
Chaos is preparations to the change.

Widgets and Templates

From The Sunday Times
February 1, 2009
Greenhouse effects: air-source heat pump - Tinesonline

What is it? A device, powered by electricity, that absorbs heat from the atmosphere to warm your home. It can also be used to provide hot water

How does it work? Like a fridge in reverse. It need not even be hot outside: it functions in temperatures as low as -15C

Is it easy to install? Yes. All you need is enough external wall space to fit an evaporator coil, which makes it ideal for an urban home. Unlike a ground-source heat pump, there is no expensive digging required

How much does it cost? A typical 6kW domestic system, suitable for a detached property, costs £7,000-£10,000, including installation

How much will it save you? An average of £870 a year on heating

Can I get a grant? Contact your local council or the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (www.lowcarbonbuildings. org.uk)

Is it suitable for my home? Yes, provided your property is well insulated. It is most effective if you’re using it instead of electricity, oil or coal

How green is it? By installing one, you can save, on average, almost six tons of carbon dioxide a year

gardnerwilkinson: - Feb - homeheatingheaters

With the progress in technology, swimming pool heat pumps have become more efficient nowadays, than they were few years ago. If you have your own swimming pool, you must use pool heat pumps to heat it. Heating your swimming pool with pool heat pumps is an efficient technique of keeping your swimming pool comfortable in the entire swimming season.

Swimming pool heat pumps are usually the most effective method for heating swimming pools in warmer countries. They transfer heat from air to pool water quite successfully. When compared to gas, oil or electric heaters, pool heat pumps may cost much less, which can also save you a lot of money in energy costs. You may come across pool heat pumps that have dual temperature controls which will further enable you to heat your swimming pool at various temperatures.

What Swimming Pool Heat Pump Does

Swimming pool heat pumps usually heat your swimming pool to a desired temperature at a reasonable cost. You just have to set the device to a temperature you want; that is all you have to do. These heat pumps function great when the weather condition is not very cold. Pool heat pumps make use of the outside air as free energy source. Even if the outside weather condition is not great, swimming pool heat pumps will keep your pool in the desired temperature for a perfect swim.

Swimming pool heat pumps keep your pool heated at constant temperature; this type of pump heaters is an absolute requisite for someone who is a good swimmer. They are great for heating pools efficiently and quickly when time is a factor.

A pool heat pump functions in the similar principle as a refrigerator or an air conditioner, but in reverse. One of such units usually consists of heat exchanger, ventilator, condenser and compressor which also include a refrigerant.

How Swimming Pool Heat Pump Works

Pool heat pumps use electricity to operate their pumps; however, they may also use the sun-warmed air at times. A fan stirs the warm air through evaporator coil which collects heat from the atmosphere. The coil contains liquid refrigerant that absorbs the temperature from the air. After this process takes place, it changes into gas. The gas then is pushed into a compressor that further intensifies the heat.

After the gas becomes too hot, it shifts from compressor to heat exchanger condenser. It is here where water passes through, and cool swimming pool water is pushed through heat exchanger condenser. As it passes, cool water takes up the warmth from the gas. As a result, the water turns warm while the gas turns cool. If you have to maintain a daily, continual swimming routine, swimming pool heat pumps are just perfect for you.

30.01.2009 - ezinearticle.com

One of the most basic facts of the world we live in today is that we spend an ever-increasing amount of time indoors. Whether we rest motionless in front of our televisions and computers or stay active while avoiding the vicissitudes of the weather outside, the quality of our indoor air is increasingly important. Installing a heat pump is one way to go about improving that air.

The best and most efficient central heating or forced air heating and cooling system will keep a house warm in the winter and cool in the summer, insuring the comfort of its inhabitants. A unit that is well-maintained by the homeowner and kept in good repair by qualified heating contractors operates at peak efficiency and provides the best cost-to-benefit ratio in energy consumption for its brand and model. It will also blow dust into the house.

Heat pumps work by transferring the heat in the air. Depending on the season, this transfer will deposit warmth inside or outside to maintain the desired internal temperature. An even more efficient and environmentally friendly version is sourced in the ground and pulls heat to or from the ground depending on need. This is a more complicated and expensive version, but in the long run does pay for itself.

Heat pumps can be installed ductlessly, and some can also be equipped with gas furnace back-up to provide increased heat in colder climes. In areas like Atlanta where the cold is rarely too intense, heat pumps are ideal. Depending on the version, the pump can heat water for the home or be set up to work with radiant heat systems that supply heat or cold to the floor and/or wall panels, from which it radiates into the room.

The impact all of the above mentioned ways of heating and cooling a home is important to air quality in two ways. The first is the most obvious and one of the big selling points-that of a reduced carbon footprint. By reducing the negative environmental influence, the air quality outside is improved, which means fewer pollutants to be kept out of the house.

The second way is what was mentioned at the outset of this piece, which is that with the transfer of energy in the air, and especially with a radiant heat-system, there is a reduction of dust inside the home. This has the side advantage of reducing the amount of cleaning one has to do on any given day and eliminates some of the basic maintenance required for a standard furnace.

This is not to say there is no air movement with a heat pump, but the heat transfer reduces that process. So does the lack of a cold-cycle as it exists in many standard furnaces, which also acts to blow dust through the house.

With pollen counts and other allergens seemingly more aggressive in their attacks on people’s sinuses every year, the air itself has become increasingly hazardous to breathe. Finding a reputable and licensed heating and air conditioning contractor to install a system that is more energy efficient and produces a reduced degree of dust is of benefit to everyone.

29 - January - 2009 - ACR News

SANYO Air Conditioners is launching a training programme to teach acr engineers how to install its carbon dioxide-based ECO heat pump systems.

The courses are to be launched initially at three centres across the country from this April, but there are plans for more training centres to come on board during the year.

The courses are scheduled to take place at:

Sanyo headquarters in Whyteleafe, South London,

Oceanair Distribution site in Bristol,

Easy Air Conditioning site in Birmingham.

Sanyo is subsidising the cost of the course to encourage good attendance.

The one-day course includes practical experience of working with carbon dioxide refrigerant-based systems, designed to deliver low-cost heating and hot water in domestic and small commercial applications.

Devised by industry trainer Martin Hook, the course highlights the differences between carbon dioxide and HFC-based technology, demonstrates the applications and benefits of the CO2 ECO system, and covers design, installation and maintenance of air-to-water heat pumps.

Attendance on the course qualifies installers to apply for government incentives for renewable technologies on the high efficiency products.

Sanyo plans to add more training centres in the north of England during the year.

For more course details call 0845 6126364.