Some homeowners look to greener energy solutions to offset rising energy costs in busy, tech-savvy households. Others look to do whatever they can to limit the impact of climate change. Either way, monitoring and controlling home energy consumption helps you install new energy-efficient solutions and lifestyle habits that result in positive impacts on budgets and natural resources.
Heat Pumps to replace electric hot water systems might not have shown up on your green energy list in previous years, however, they are now strong contenders as growing technology has made these systems more economical, quieter and more suitable for a larger number of homes.
Now that Australian governments are looking to phase out natural gas and slow down solar energy rebates, a heat pump might be the green energy solution you are looking for.
What Is A Heat Pump Hot Water System?
A heat pump is a very different style of hot water system that is able to draw on the heat of the air and ground and transfer energy to a hot water storage unit.
Unlike solar panels, heat pumps can function overnight and on cloudy days to deliver hot water to your home for showers, washing and cleaning at a significantly reduced home energy rate without having any roof-mounted panels.
While not solar in the traditional sense because it doesn’t rely on solar energy, heat pumps can still be thought of as solar as they use the heat in the air for the majority of their power, and this heat comes from the sun. Heat pumps do still need electricity to operate the evaporator fan and compressor to heat water, so they are not completely solar, but the savings on your electricity use is significant.
How Heat Pump Systems Work
Heat pumps use clever technology that is safe for the environment and the ozone layer. While it still draws electricity to run the fan and compressor, the rest of the heating system uses a chemical refrigerant that is able to boil (evaporate to gas) at very low temperatures. When needed heat is drawn in from the surrounding air to cause evaporation. The gas is compressed in a chamber that creates pressure and intense heat. This heat is then transferred into pipes through a water storage tank to bring the water to temperature. The tank is insulated to preserve as much of the internal heat as possible until the hot water is needed for use in your home.
Once the heat is transferred the compressor is cooled, the refrigerant turns back to liquid form and settles until it’s next needed. The cool air from the heat transfer is expelled using a fan.
Pros & Cons
As well as helping reduce your carbon emissions, you can experience incredible savings in hot water expenses over the life of the unit since hot water is hungry for energy, especially in typical tank/storage units where heat is lost when not in use.
Heat pump water heaters are best suited to locations that remain inside a climate zone of 4.4º to 32.2ºC range year-round. Any amount of heat in the air will be warm enough to activate the pump, however, consistently colder climates will push the compressor to run for longer, draw more electricity and shorten the life of your system. If you only experience a few chilly mornings over winter, a heat pump may still be suitable. You just need to be mindful as frost can create some issues if condensation inside the unit freezes when the pump is not in use. If you live in an area that experiences cold winters, be sure to check with a qualified local plumber about heat pump suitability and recommendations on those specifically suited to frosty winter climates.
Now is the perfect time to be looking into heat pump hot water systems with many generous rebates available on purchase and installations for homes that currently have existing electric hot water. It’s good news for homeowners who haven’t been able to take advantage of solar rebates when they were at their peak, especially those who were looking to upgrade or replace their hot water in the next few years.