introduction to heat pumps from ihs

IHS ground source heat pumps can provide all your heating, cooling and domestic hot water requirements.  Every system that we supply is designed to suit your individual requirements.  In a well constructed, well insulated building, heat pumps and underfloor heating are one of the optimum methods of achieving the highest energy efficiency.

Because we've spent years perfecting our system designs, it's not necessary for you to deal with separate companies for the different requirements you have.  We design fully integrated systems which essentially means that IHS is a one-stop shop for complete enerrgy systems including underfloor heating, heat pumps, solar panels, Road Energy Systems, wood burning stoves and domestic water systems.  All these can be fully integrated and have been designed to deliver maximum efficiency and system performance.  All IHS heat pumps yield a COP from 4 up to to 9 depending on the installation method used.  (A COP of 4 means that 4kW is obtained for every 1kW of electricity used).

A heat pump moves heat from one place to another and can be used for both heating and cooling.  They are a hybrid heat source running entirely on electricity but with the ability to capture additional energy from their surrounding environment.  They take temperatures from the low-grade heat in their environment and transfer this energy into a smaller volume of water at higher temperatures inside the house.  The narrower the temperature range between the source and the house, the more efficiently the system runs.  Efficiency is measured by COP.  Critical factors which determine heat pump efficiency include standard of construction and insulation, hot water consumption, appropriate system design and properly conducted installation.  A properly designed and installed system will continue to operate even at sub-zero temperatures.

The ihs introduction to heat pumps (700k PDF download) may help answer some of your initial questions.

Click here for further information on pipe installation options.

heat pump models

single phase electricity supply

Standard IDM heat pump in single phase available in output sizes from 12kW - 24kW pictured with 500 litre Hygienik Tank for domestic hot water and heating	IHS Compact heat pump specially designed to fit under most standard worktops.  Height 86cm, Width 80cm, Depth 60cm.  Available up to 12kW

three phase electricity supply

Terra S Units - Available in sizes 15kW to 45kW
Terra Max Units - Available in sizes 45kW to 100kW

All Terra Units are high quality heat pump systems that are easy to install and deliver high efficiency and value for money.  They supply all your heating and hot water requirements.  Hot water is delivered from between 45ºC to 49ºC.

For customers in Scotland, click here for more information about cheaper electricity tariffs.

hot water from heat pumps

Modern buildings require less power for heating due to improved building methods and insulation values.  On the other hand, our demand for hot water is increasing.  It is therefore absolutely essential that the water heating capacity of the heat pump equipment is as efficient as possible.

Domestic hot water is delivered by the Hygienik Tank which acts as a thermal store for the heat pump and delivers domestic hot water.  The tank has an external heat exchanger.    Fresh cold water passes through this, extracting heat from the cold water in the tank.  The result is FRESH domestic hot water.  As this water has never been stored before, this method eliminates build-up of the legionella bacterium.  The existence of the heat exchanger eliminates the need to heat the tank to a higher temperature that would be required to kill bacteria such as legionella in a conventional system.  This reduces running costs and shortens system payback time.

The Hygienik Tank lies at the heart
of every IHS renewable system

The Hygienik Tank enables the delivery of domestic hot water and heating for your system.  It's a key element linking the whole heating design in your house.  The system acts as both a thermal store for domestic hot water AND a buffer tank for the underfloor heating.  Fresh mains water is passed through a heat exchanger on the outside of the tank.  The result is fresh hot water that's never been stored so bacteria such as legionella cannot build up.  Basically the Hygienik Tank is a hot water cylinder and thermal store where you can "dump" any warm water from any other heat source (eg solar panels, oil/gas boilers, wood, wood chip or wood pellet-burning stoves, asphalt solar collector), providing a fully integrated package.  So all the systems and technologies are backing each other up - add a wind turbine and you can become totally self-sufficient!

heat pumps and underfloor heating

A heat pump supplying an underfloor heating system in a solid floor make-up is a great combination.  A temperature of 40ºC to 45ºC is a typical output for a heat pump operating at close to an efficiency of 4 to 1. 

There are also options available for heat pumps with joisted floors.
If a heat pump is the main heat source, the temperature output is lower - approximately 45ºC.  In order to get maximum efficiency from your heat pump and underfloor heating, we recommend the use of Lewis Plates which can be installed on the joisted floor to allow screed to be poured thus creating a higher thermal mass. 

If this option doesn't suit, hard wood floor covering over the full joisted area can be used provided there is no sub-floor. (The heat from the heat pump can penetrate through hard wood due to the fact that it doesn't require a chipboard subfloor which would absorb most of the heat). 

heat pump building managment system

what is hgl?

The HGL option is a weather-compensating Building Management Heating System that constantly optimises the entire system and ensures efficiency and performance.  It also yields a higher domestic water temperature output of 55ºC to give an extra boost to your system if required.

HGL Technology is a special hot gas-loading technology that is ideal for ensuring the efficiency of your heat pump.

advantages of HGL 

HGL ensures reduced running costs for the following reasons:

• HGL can manage an existing heating system (Some people keep their existing heating system as a back-up or simply don't remove it if it's not broken.  In this case  HGL is a computer which can switch on additional heat sources (eg. oil boiler) in the event of even extra heat being required)
• Additionally, HGL reads and evaluates outside air temperature and adjusts internal temperatures accordingly.  The warmer it gets outside, the lower the temperature is set for the heating inside
• No external clocks are required.  The HGL computer can be timed for each desired zone and also for hot water
• It has two hot water outputs.  This means it can produce domestic hot water at 55ºC while delivering heating at 28ºC.  The efficiency is increased by a factor of 2.5 to 1 so it’s 2.5 times more efficient than an electric immerser.  (NB.  Even without the HGL feature, the standard IDM heat pump gives hot water at 45ºC to 49ºC which is perfectly adequate for a household's needs).
• With the HGL option, if the building has two floors (either with underfloor heating or radiators upstairs), each can be controlled separately by means of a compensating pump kit
• High reservoir temperature with low compressor pressure
• Lower power consumption
• CO2 reduction - The Hygienik tank optimises the switch frequency of heating boilers and reduces emissions
• As the reservoir water is in layers, hot water is available immediately. The heating water is heated first - safe circulation so there's no danger of calcification

HGL is available as a feature on all our heat pump units.  Please discuss your requirements with your IHS technician.

Multitalent Control

The IHS HGL heat pump is regulated by a modern microprocessor and a clever control programme called a Multitalent Control.  It is designed to provide precise and efficient use of the heat pump.

The whole heat pump facility only cuts in when it’s needed.  It has a number of monitoring, safety and message functions.

Data can also be transferred via a modem for long distance monitoring on a PC or by SMS to a mobile phone.

features

• Simple operation with only two control knobs
• Operating menu easy to follow and understand
• Large graphic display with clear graphic representation
• Alternative cooling system already integrated