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Air & Ground source heat pumps in the UK
Air & Ground source heat pumps are becoming an increasingly popular renewable technology throughout the UK as a source of energy-saving, especially with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). Various kinds are available, but they fall into two main categories:
- Air source heat pumps (ASHP), which generate heat from the air
- Ground source heat pumps (GSHP), which use heat from the earth
Both work on a similar principle. They are mainly used for space heating, and they can heat water under certain circumstances. You could think of them working along the same lines of a refrigerator: only in reverse.
Rather than taking heat out of your food, Air Source Heat Pumps and Ground Source Heat Pumps take heat from the air, water or ground and pump it into your home.
These are especially effective if you have a home that is off the gas grid, or if you are planning a new build. You also need enough room for the systems. As GSHP and ASHP both rely on pumping warm air into your home, it is essential that the space is well insulated.
How Air source heat pumps work
Benefits of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
If you would like to become more self-sufficient, reduce your carbon footprint and save money, you may be able to benefit from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). This UK Government-backed measure is designed to continue and incentivise the uptake of renewable heating technologies in people’s homes and replaced the Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI) scheme on the 23rd May 2022.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme initiative is set to encourage more people in England and Wales to install heat pumps and biomass boilers.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers renewable technologies such as:
- Air Source Heat Pump
- Ground Source Heat Pumps
- Biomass Boilers
The BUS incentive payments offer £5,000 off the cost and installation for both Air Source Heat Pumps and Biomass Boilers, and £6,000 off cost and installation of Ground Source Heat Pumps. It is worth noting that grants for Biomass Boilers are only available for rural locations with properties that are not connected to the gas grid and is not available for self-build properties.
In order to be eligible for the BUS scheme, you will need to:
- Be a property owner of an existing building or custom-made (either home or small business property)
- The property must have an installation capacity up to 45kWth (most homes comply with this)
- Homes will need to be assessed and provide at least one quote from a certified installer that are MCS accredited, like Mere End Consultants
- Have a current and valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The EPC must not have outstanding energy recommendations for loft and cavity wall insulation
This scheme is planned to run for 3 years starting April 2022 with a government budget of £450 million set aside for investment. Once the vouchers have been provided, the work involved must be completed within 3 months.
0% VAT on Air Source Heat Pumps installation
With the introduction of 0% VAT for the installation of Air Source Heat Pumps, this along with the £5,000 grant makes it very affordable to get yourself generating green energy from home. Homeowners can expect to pay on average between £7,000 and £13,000 for the installation costs of an Air Source Heat Pump and expect to save up to £1,410 per year by replacing an old inefficient LPG boiler. The lifespan of a good installation with proper maintenance and care can see your Air Source Heat Pump last for up to 20 years.
How heat pumps work
Heat pumps can be highly effective in the right kind of building, but how exactly do they work? Well, they work on a similar principle to a reverse refrigerator. No doubt, you have already worked out that Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP) draw heat from the ground, and Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) draw heat from the Air. So, let’s have a closer look at how they work:
GSHP: These use a long looped pipe which is filled with water, and then buried in the earth. The water contains anti-freeze, so it can circulate freely all year round and absorb heat from the earth. Although it might seem as though there might not be enough heat during the winter, the temperature underground is relatively stable all year round: at 8 to 12 degrees C.
The liquid passes though an electric pump which extracts the absorbed heat, before pushing the water back underground. The heat pump uses electricity to boost the heat from the ground, to heat water in the buffer tank. This system is best used in underfloor heating, which is fed from the buffer tank.
ASHP: These operate in a very similar way, but they extract heat from the air outside of your home. They do so using an evaporator coil, which looks rather like one of the large fans on an air conditioner unit. These can operate at temperatures of as little as -15° C. So, these systems are suitable for UK homes.
