ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT HEAT PUMPS
Energy used to heat our homes is one of the biggest contributors to individual carbon footprints. Heat pumps are a great way to cut your carbon emissions.
1. Reduced electricity consumption: heat pumps operate at high efficiencies. A heat pump can operate at 400% efficiency, whereas a new gas boiler only operates at 90%.
2. Emission-free process: the beauty of heat pumps is that there are no harmful emissions given off. In contrast a gas boiler burns gasses in your home.
According to the IEA, heat pumps will account for nearly half of global reductions in fossil fuel use for heating in buildings in 2030.
heat pump replace boiler Example
The heating of our homes accounts for 14% of the UK’s total carbon emissions. New energy methods, such as heat pumps, can make a significant difference to lowering this.
The CO₂ to produce 1kwh of heating energy:
- New Gas Boiler: 0.21 CO₂/kwh
- Old Gas Boiler: 0.23 CO₂/kwh
- Oil Boiler: 0.31 CO₂/kwh
- AURORA II: 0.11 CO₂/kwh
As an example:
- A 120m² house, with EPC of D could save 3,104 kg CO₂ a year with an AURORA II heat pump compared to their existing gas boiler.
- 4,600 kg CO₂ a year is the average UK per capita emissions per year (World Bank UK Data)
- This house example had 2 people living in it
- Their new household CO₂ a year is estimated at 3,048 kg.
- This equals 34% less CO₂ per person per year
Environmental impact heat pumps
Heat pumps are increasingly recognised as a critical technology for the decarbonisation of heat, receiving increasing policy support.
Find out about the UK governments scheme here
Reduced electricity consumption: Heat pumps operate at very high efficiencies of around 400%, which means for every unit of electricity used, 4 units of thermal, heating energy are created. Conventional gas boilers have an efficiency of 90% at best, and anything down to 75%.
A heat pump extracts heat from the air outside using electricity.
This means you get a bigger quantity of heat with less electrical power usage.
Air-source heat pumps give you comfortable, consistent
heating and hot water, with the added benefit of:
- Less energy: Heat pumps use 4x less energy than even the
most efficient boilers to generate the same amount of heat. - Less carbon: That efficiency means you’ll instantly slash
your heat carbon footprint by around 70%. Plus, they run on electricity, which
gets greener every year. - Less maintenance: A heat pump can last 20 years – about
twice as long as a boiler – and needs less pricey maintenance.
Read our full articles:
Gas boilers have served us well, but heat pumps are the next generation of domestic energy. The core advantages are:
- Energy Efficiency: Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) can be very efficient. They work by extracting heat from the outdoor air, even in cold weather, and transferring it indoors. This process requires much less energy compared to generating heat from scratch, as with conventional furnaces or electric heaters. At 35°C, the heating efficiency of an Adlår heat pump is 489%, which compared to the efficiency of an existing boiler of rough ~80% is a massive difference.
- Cost Savings: You can get savings on energy bills from your first day due to the forementioned energy efficiency. Understand your personal savings potential here.
- Eco-Friendly: ASHPs can mean a significant reduction in a household’s environmental impact. ASHPs work by extracting heat from the outdoor air, even in cold weather, and transferring it indoors. This process requires much less energy compared to generating heat from scratch, as with conventional furnaces or electric heaters.
- Versatility: ASHPs provide both heating and cooling technology so they can be a versatile solution for year-round comfort. They can reverse their operation, extracting heat from the home and expelling it outside during the summer, therefore acting as an air conditioner too.
- Indoor Air Quality: There is no onsite fuel burning inside a home with the use of an ASHP. They minimise the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or gas leaks. Additionally, they don’t involve combustion processes that could potentially degrade indoor air quality, ensuring a safer and healthier environment for families.
- Long Lifespan: With proper maintenance and care, ASHPs can have a long lifespan. They have fewer moving parts than a boiler so their risk of mechanical failure can be lower on average, and it also means maintenance costs can be less. It is usually assumed that a gas boiler has a 10 year life, a heat pump is assumed to have double that.
The Climate Change Committee‘s (CCC, the official body that advises the UK government on decarbonisation) pathways to net-zero see the majority of UK homes being heated with heat pumps by 2050.
By 2028, at least a fifth of homeowners replacing boilers at the end of their lifetimes will need to choose a heat pump for Government targets to be met.
Key statistics:
- Globally, heating accounts for nearly half of all energy consumption
- And 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions
- For example, a small, terraced house, with a well-insulated loft and a modern gas boiler produces around 2.75 tonnes of greenhouse gasses a year – the same as driving 11,7000 miles in an average car!
- 19% of the UK’s greenhouse gasses comes from warming up our homes and workplaces
- The CO₂ to produce 1kWh of heating energy per energy source
- New Gas Boiler: 0.21-0.25 CO₂/kwh
- Old Gas Boiler: 0.25-0.38 CO₂/kwh
- Oil Boiler: 0.31-0.55 CO₂/kwh
- AURORA II: 0.06-0.11 CO₂/kwh
