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Do heat pumps reduce costs and polluting emissions?

Heat pumps are highly energy efficient devices that offer the possibility of obtaining heating and air conditioning for the home with a single system. In recent years their popularity has increased due to lower consumption and better efficiency compared to traditional systems. These advantages therefore lead to economic savings, but also a lower environmental impact of our homes. But how do heat pumps guarantee these advantages?

What is a heat pump?

A heat pump is a system that allows you to obtain air conditioning in an apartment, a house or even a larger space, such as a commercial or industrial space. A heat pump can produce both heat and cold and is therefore a unique solution that guarantees climate comfort both in summer and winter.

The heat pump can consist of a single element (monobloc heat pump) or it can be composed of two or more devices. The first fundamental component is the one installed outside, which absorbs heat from a renewable source. This can be the air we breathe, a surface or underground body of water, or the ground itself: the heat pump absorbs the heat that these “sources” release for free and unlimited. One (or more) components are installed inside the house and are responsible for spreading the heat absorbed outside into the internal environment. This heat transfer between the external and internal systems occurs by means of a closed circuit with a particular type of gas inside. When the heat pump is responsible for cooling, the machines perform the reverse function: inside the house the heat is absorbed and then released outside to one of the sources described.

Heat pumps need electricity to work. The great advantage of these systems is that the energy they transfer in the form of heat in our home is up to 5 times higher than the electricity they consume. Thanks to this high efficiency, heat pumps guarantee significant savings compared to the combined installation of a boiler and a summer cooling system. In boilers, in fact, the heat source is the gas they consume, but the energy they can transfer is certainly less than that generated by the combustion of the gas inside them. It is therefore clear that, with their ability to transfer up to 5 times the electrical energy absorbed as heat, heat pumps represent a more efficient solution.

Is there a cost saving with a heat pump?

Thanks to their higher efficiency compared to traditional systems, heat pumps are certainly the most attractive air conditioning and heating system for people who are more attentive to energy consumption. Switching from a traditional heating or air conditioning system to a heat pump system is often perceived as an expensive operation from an economic point of view. However, there are many factors that make the installation of these systems much less expensive. In fact, at the time of writing this article, there are incentives and tax breaks available at national and local levels that allow you to reduce the installation costs of these systems, such as:

  • Conto Termico 2.0, an incentive provided by the GSE (Energy Services Manager) and calculated according to the power of the heat pump and the climate zone in which it is installed. The incentive is equal to a maximum of 65% of the expense incurred (if this is lower than the maximum incentive calculated). For amounts less than €5000 the incentive is paid in a single installment, otherwise it is reimbursed through a number of installments varying between 2 and 5 based on the amount.
  • The Ecobonus 2024, with a tax relief equal to 65% of the amount spent, receivable in 10 years as an IRPEF refund during the 730 phase (tax return).
  • The Home Bonus, with an incentive equal to 50% of the amount spent, receivable in 10 years and equal to a maximum of 48 thousand euros. Also in this case the incentive is paid as an IRPEF reimbursement in the 730 phase and is added to the renovation costs of the same real estate unit.

Furthermore, heat pumps guarantee long-term savings, especially when combined with photovoltaic panels that generate free, renewable energy. A further increase in long-term economic savings can be achieved when these two systems are combined with the Clivet Smart Living system, which includes a battery to store the electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic panels. The battery, in fact, recharges during the day, when energy production is at its maximum and allows the heat pump to operate without purchasing electricity from the grid in the evening and at night, using the energy accumulated during the day. Heat pumps can also heat the hot water used for taps and showers. Finally, installing a heat pump increases the energy class of the home and therefore represents added value when and if the house is put up for sale.

How does a heat pump work?

The operation of a heat pump is very simple and involves the use of natural sources. Its operation is based on the exchange of heat by conduction, or the flow of heat that occurs from areas with a higher temperature to those with a lower temperature. A heat pump, in fact, absorbs thermal energy from a natural source such as air, a body of water or the ground outside the home. Once the heat is absorbed, it is transferred by means of a gas to the internal environment to heat the environment or produce domestic hot water. There are three main types of heat pumps:

  • Air-to-air heat pumps allow the exchange of heat between the external ambient air and the internal air of a home;
  • Air-to-water heat pumps exchange heat with the outside air and heat water in a system inside the home. This water can be used for heating or for sanitary purposes: in taps, showers, etc.;
  • Geothermal heat pumps or water-to-water heat pumps that exploit the constant temperature of the underlying ground or a body of water to absorb and release heat.

A heat pump consists of a circuit in which gas flows and two heat exchangers: one outside the home and one inside the home. When the heat pump works in heating mode, inside the home the heat contained in the gas is released either directly to the environment (for example the “splits” that we know for air conditioners) or to a boiler (a large cylindrical tank) full of water. The gas then condenses into liquid form, and this is why the system inside the home in this mode works as a condenser. The external unit instead absorbs heat from the environment, evaporating the liquefied gas back into gaseous form, functioning as an evaporator of the gas in the circuit. If the heat pump is used to cool the home, exactly the opposite happens and the roles of condenser and evaporator are reversed. To distribute heat or cold inside a building, the heat pump normally uses water, like a boiler, making it flow through radiators, terminal units or radiant floors.

The advantages on the environmental impact

The economic savings offered by heat pumps are also accompanied by a significant improvement in the environmental impact of the home. A heat pump allows for the optimization of electricity consumption from the public grid and the elimination of methane gas consumption. In fact, the operation of a heat pump does not involve any direct emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) direct. Indirect emissions, which take into account the production of electricity, can be reduced by up to approximately 50%. If the heat pump then uses energy from a renewable source, such as that produced by a photovoltaic system installed on the roof of the house, energy consumption and costs can be reduced by up to 80% compared to boilers. Clivet heat pumps also use the natural refrigerant R290 which guarantees high performance and temperatures comparable to a boiler with maximum respect for the environment. In the past, in fact, the gases used inside heat pumps had a high environmental impact in terms of GWP (Global Warming Potential) if they were dispersed into the atmosphere. The natural refrigerant R290, on the other hand, is a natural gas, composed almost entirely of propane, which has a low environmental impact and still guarantees excellent performance for heat pumps. Furthermore, the Clivet Smart Living system also allows you to optimise the heat pump’s on and off times, regulating its operation and obtaining minimum energy consumption.