With the cost of heating a commercial premises high at the moment, many business owners and commercial landlords are asking the question whether heat pumps are energy-efficient enough to be a viable substitute for gas central heating. In fact, heat pumps are a good option for most large-scale premises, and we recommend that building owners weigh the costs and benefits in terms of energy savings and efficiency, whenever they are considering upgrading their heating infrastructure – and especially if their current boilers are reaching end of life.
How Efficient Are Heat Pumps?
There are two types of heat pump: air source heat pumps, which draw energy from the atmosphere, and ground source heat pumps, which extract latent energy from the earth. Although heat pumps are fairly new to the UK, both variants are widely used in commercial and residential buildings in the USA and other jurisdictions.
All heat pumps are incredibly energy efficient and can reduce the energy requirements of a typical commercial building by 50 to 60%.
Six Benefits Of Heat Pumps
Investing in a heat pump can yield the following advantages in cost savings and efficiency benefits.
1. Energy Efficiency
Heat pumps require less energy to produce the same amount of heat output as gas-fired heating systems – making them more efficient and less expensive to run.
2. Cost Savings
Once you’ve paid for your heat pump to be installed, operating it is essentially free, as the pump draws naturally available energy from the environment. There are no recurrent costs involved from drawing natural gas or electricity from the mains, for instance, so the long-term savings of investing in a heat pump will quickly outstrip the initial outlay.
3. Versatility
Different types of heat pumps can be used for cooling as well as heating, making them a versatile and cost-effective option for operating a commercial air conditioning system during the hot summer months, when many offices can become oppressive in the UK.
4. Easy Installation
Many commercial property owners are put off heat pumps by the perceived difficulty and expense of installation. In reality, the installation process for air source heat pumps is relatively easy and economical compared to other types of heating systems, and even ground source pumps are fairly straightforward to install providing you have the required surface area to meet your energy requirements.
5. Low Maintenance
Modern heat pumps have very few moving parts, which equates to low maintenance requirements and high durability. High-end models can last for many years without needing extensive repairs or upgrades.
6. Sustainability
Heat pumps do not require constant fossil fuel input to generate heat, so can help your business reduce its carbon footprint by minimising the amount of energy used for cooling and heating. Since naturally available heat is a renewable energy source, installing a pump on your premises can significantly contribute to your sustainability strategy as the UK moves towards net carbon zero.
Find out more
To find out more about commercial heat pump installation and the cost benefits for your organisation, please get in touch with one of our heat pump specialists today on 01865 411319, or click here to request a call back.
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