5 ways to a successful heat pump deployment – #4 Correct integration and control

In our race against climate change, it is definitely worth taking a closer look at the decarbonisation of the public sector. To help England along, the government is giving it another push in the back with a third round of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Even though we are slowly coming to the end of our 5 must-know areas for the ultimate deployment of a low carbon heat pump installation, the last two will not disappoint.. Next on the list? Correct integration and control of heat pumps and boilers!

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Start measuring performance to stop regretting outcomes

In our previous blogs in this series, we discussed the importance of correct sizing; optimal return temperatures; and using legacy system over sizing to allow operation at lower flow temperatures, especially for hybrid boiler/heat pump installations in public sector installations.

By now, we already know that the typical approach to hydraulic system design – based on peak load sizing and estimates of which hydraulic configuration will produce best performance –doesn’t always provide the most transparency. It doesn’t tell us how different configurations of different parts react in any specific situation and project. And more importantly, whether your project KPI’s will be met.

There are multiple ways in which design engineers might choose to implement the introduction of a heat pump into the existing plant room, alongside boilers, other generation sources, thermal storage and hydraulic pumping arrangements.

Yet the optimal hydraulic configuration and associated control strategies of the plant are crucial to delivering low carbon, low energy-cost performance. Remembering of course that due the cost-differential between gas and electricity prices – the so-called“spark gap” – these two factors do not necessarily go hand in hand. Therefore, the ability to compare the performance of alternative system configurations at the design stage is critical to understand the optimal solution for any installation.

Bringing transparency into the discussion, around trade-off between carbon savings; annual energy costs; and upfront capital investment costs, can only be done if you have all the information. And knowledge really is key, because the behaviour of the heat pump, boilers and other equipment depends on the hydraulic configuration as well as the way in which this configuration behaves under partial load.

To put this into context, let’s look at a couple of examples. Below are two possible hydraulic configuration options designers might be considering for integration of a heat pump into an existing installation – but each have specific performance advantages and disadvantages:

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Our knowledge is your power

Coordination and expertise are key when successfully implementing low carbon heat solutions. To address these challenges, Hysopt has developed tools and personal dedication to analyse challenges and implementing solutions that benefit both your company and our environment.  

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