Residential Heat Pump Systems
 

Volume 22, No.2/2004

 


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In this issue

Residential Heat Pump Systems

The market for heat pumps and air conditioning units is growing in many parts of the world. We reported increasing sales in China and the USA in Newsletter no. 1, and in this issue we report on increasing sales in Norway, Sweden and Germany, together with expected substantial growth in India. In all these markets, it is residential heat pump systems that account for the major share.

 This issue of the Newsletter presents two important subjects related to residential heat pump systems: operating experience after installation, and competitiveness of heat pumps with other forms of heating.  

Heat Pump News

New US Energy Efficiency Standard to go into effect
 It has now been finally decided that the standard launched by the US Department of Energy in 2001, prescribing a minimum SEER of 13, will come into force in January 2006. 

 

Ground Source Heat Pumps as a part of Green Heat
A 'Green Heat Partnership' has been started in Canada with the aim of publicising how ground source heat pump systems, solar heating systems and biofuelled firing can provide 'green heat'. The work includes several different web sites on the Internet.

Heat pump Sales increase in European countries
The Norwegian, Swedish and German heat pump markets continue to expand. Sales in Norway rose by about 150 % between 2002 and 2003, assisted by investment grants from the State. Growth in Sweden and Germany was less spectacular, at about 22 % and 17 % respectively for the two countries. 

 

European F-gas Regulation
The European Parliament has voted in favour of a proposal to limit F-gases. The proposal includes a ban on the use of F-gases with GWPs exceeding 50 in air conditioning units in new cars with effect from 2014. A ban on the use of F-gases in refrigerators etc. was defeated. 

Publications

The 2003 Heat Pump Programme Annual Report now available
The Heat Pump Programme (HPP) Annual Report is now available for downloading from www.heatpumpcentre.org. The report describes the work of HPP, i.e. what has been done by the Heat Pump Centre and by the various Annex research projects.

 

 

Topical Articles

Field Measurements and Analysis of Heat Pump Installations
Heat pump systems are reliable. This is the conclusion that can be drawn from a Swiss project involving field measurements of 237 heat pump systems between 1996 and 2003. Average availability was 99.5 %, with over 70 % of the systems operating without any faults at all. The project investigated the performance of domestic heat pumps of standard type, abstracting heat from various sources and connected to different types of heating systems.  

 
Competitive Strength of Heat Pumps in The Netherlands
Does it make economic sense to install a heat pump? This article considers the question for Dutch conditions.    

Non-topical Articles

Magnetic Cooling
What is magnetic cooling, and how does it work?
 

A Swedish Research Programme for Heat Pumping Technologies
The Swedish eff-Sys research programme, intended to encourage the development of more energy-efficient refrigeration and heat pump systems, was concluded in March 2004. The programme's chairman describes the programme and how the work was carried out.
 

Performance Comparison of R22 and R410A
As far as conditions in the average American town are concerned, R410A has less environmental impact than R22. This is shown by the results of an investigation to compare the performance of R410A with that of R22 when used in air conditioning units.