Daikin Altherma Air Source Heat Pump - Altherma Heating System - Altherma Central Heating

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Daikin Altherma Air Source Heat Pump

The Altherma is a split system that relies on the non ozone depleting refrigerant R410A to absorb the (free) heat that is in the ambient air to heat water for use in underfloor heating systems, low heat radiators and domestic hot water tanks. However not only does the Altherma provide heating, it can also provide cooling during those somewhat rare hot summers we experience in the UK (fan coil radiators are required for cooling).

Using refrigeration technology the Altherma has inherent energy efficient characteristics that make it the ideal solution to reduce CO2 emissions, and more so reduce energy consumption. Resulting in lower utility bills.

The highly efficient inverter driven compressor and variable set point controller enables the system to match it's output to the space heating demands of the building. Comfort is assured and energy usage minimised by the Altherma's ability to regulate the heat emitter temperature to the best level.

Modern building methods enables water temperatures of 55 deg C or less to be more than sufficient to heat a house throughout even at very low outside temperatures.

Heat pumps by their nature are clean and reliable. If fact 99% of households already use heat pump technology to keep their food fresh in the fridge. A fridge takes the heat from the chamber where the food is placed and releases this at the back of the fridge through the distinctive black radiator/grill that we are all familiar with. An air source heat pump takes (free) heat from the outside to heat water for use in space heating and domestic hot water.

By taking the heat from the air, air source heatpumps are cheaper to install than the ground source heat pumps we have all seen on the TV in programs such as Channel 4's Grand Designs. The savings made on an air source heat pump installation compared to a ground source heat pump installation can go towards other microgeneration systems for the house.

With efficiencies of 300% plus, the Altherma is far superior compared to fossil fueled oil and gas fired boilers which run at around 86%. The Altherma requires electricty to run which makes it an ideal alternative heating system for rural installations were mains gas is not available. For example the Altherma can produce 3.8kw of heating for 1kw of electricity input.

With built in back up heaters the Altherma is capable of operating down to -20 deg C. So you are assured of being warm even in the coldest winters the UK can experience.

The Altherma can be set to make use of the Economy tariffs provided by the utility companies to heat a tank of hot water during the night when electricy costs the least amount, saving you even more money.

Installing a wind turbine, water turbine or a solar photovotaic system to generate electricity also allows the householder to further reduce the running costs of the Altherma.

The Daikin Altherma System Components

The Daikin Altherma uses a split system consisting of the outdoor unit and the indoor hydro-box that can be connected to all standard low temperature radiators and underfloor heating systems.

The Outdoor Unit

The Daikin Altherma outdoor unit extracts (free) low temperature heat from the ambient air and increases its temperature. This upgraded heat is then transmitted via the refrigerant in the pipework to the hydro-box situated indoors.

The Indoor Hydro-box

The Daikin Altherma indoor hydro-box built in heat exchanger takes the heat from the refrigerant and transfers it to the water being pumped in the central heating system and domestic hot water tank. The Altherma will automatically switch from heating the hot water tank to heating the central circuit. Preference as to which circuit take preference can be set during commissioning.

Domestic Hot Water Tank

Daikin's purpose built, energy efficient steel domestic hot water tank is an optional extra as the system can be used for central heating only. A built in electrical heating element is used to provide the extra heat when needed for showers and baths. No need to worry about legionella, the Altherma is programmed to raise the temperature of the hot water to 70 deg C at the required intervals to kill off any bacterial growth. The hot water tanks are available in 150 ltr, 200 ltr and 300 ltr sizes.

The Controls

The Daikin Altherma system and user controls are housed in the hydro-box unit. Operation times and indoor temperature can programmed on a day to day basis, giving you the flexibilty to heat your home around your lifestyle.

Optional Solar Panel Connection Kit

Solar panels or evacuated tube collectors can be integrated with the Atherma system using the optional solar connection kit. With the solar kit connected the free energy from the sun can provide between 30% and 70% of you annual hot water needs, further reducing the running costs of the Altherma system.

Flexible Configuration

The Altherma can be configured to work in three ways to optimise the balance between running costs, investment costs and to extend the usage of the Altherma to different types of projects. These are know as Monoenergetic, Monovalent and Bivalent systems.

The Monoenergetic Altherma system

This is the standard system where the heat pump is used in combination with a small electric (built in) back up heater when demand for heat peaks during the coldest days of the year. The heat pump is sized to provide 90-95% of the households annual heating requirement, whilst the remaining 5-10% is supplied by the back up heater. Best practice is to select the heat pump to cover 60% of the heating demand for the coldest day. Using the Altherma in the monoenergetic configuration is recommended for the majority of applications because it offers the optimum balance between running costs and investment costs.

The Monovalent Altherma system

The heat pump is used on its own and is sized to cover peak demand. The heat pump is sized to provide 100% of the space heating requirement on the coldest day of the year. This solution is recommended for ultra-low energy houses and for moderate climates without severe winters. The initial investment costs may be higher but energy consumption is the lowest of all systems.

The Bivalent Altherma system

Bivalent systems combine two separate heat sources, the heat pump and a fossil fuel boiler. There are two types of bivalent system: series connected and parallel connected. When series connected the boiler is sized to cover capacity peaks only, in parallel configuration the boiler is sized to cover the full capacity on the coldest day of the year. The parallel bivalent configuration is recommended where a heating system exists. Adding Altherma optimises the energy consumption of the system.

The Altherma is an air to water heat pump manufactured by Daikin Europe NV, the European arm of Daikin Industries Ltd (Japan).

Alternative Energy Store UK Ltd are installers of the Altherma system and have a close working relationship with Daikin Airconditioning UK Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Daikin Europe NV). So you can be assured that all our systems are installed to the highest quality and carry a 3 year manufacturers warranty.

Please note that the Altherma is not a DIY system and must be installed by an approved professional installer, who must also have the necessary refrigerant handling certificate.

Some text and images on this page reproduced with the permission of Daikin Airconditioning UK Ltd.

Altherma Benefits

Cost effective heating compared to fossil fuel boilers.

Energy Efficient Space Heating.

Low CO2 emmissions compared to conventional fossil fuel boilers.

Backed by Daikin's 3 year warranty.

Connects to underfloor heating systems.

Compatable with solar thermal systems.

Works with standard low temperature radiators.

No gas connection or fuel tank required.

Where can the Altherma be used?

The Altherma has been tested by Daikin at monitored installations in France , Portugal, Belgium and Scandinavia. Whatever the climate and weather conditions the Altherma has provided stable indoor comfortable space heating. Hot water is readily available and with low energy consumption resulting in lower CO2 emmissions.

Altherma systems are providing space heating for homes across England, Scotland and Wales and as far north as the Orkney Isles.

EU Directive Recognition of Heat Pumps

On 17 December 2008, the European Parliament adopted the EU Directive on promoting the use of energy from renewable sources. For the first time however, in addition to geothermal energy, aerothermal and hydrothermal energy are also recognised as renewable energy sources.

This EU Directive encourages member states to support related technologies and to help achieve EU energy objectives. The Directive text implies that member states shall now promote heat pumps in much the same way they have for solar and wind energy, and it is expected this will be the case in the UK

Reduced Carbon Emissions

Heat pumps are already popular in countries such as France, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden. In some cases, this is due to tax incentives (France and Ireland). In others, a lack of oil or environmental awareness on the part of the government has led to increased attention afforded to heat pumps. Thus 70% of all newly built houses in Switzerland are equipped with heat pumps and Norway and Sweden are actively promoting heat pumps.

In the average UK home 75% of the energy consumed is from heating and hot water usage. Therefore, there is a huge potential for air source heat pump system for domestic heating and hot water. Altherma by Daikin can reduce carbon emissions by up to 50% and reduce energy costs by a similar percentage compared to traditional fossil fuel boiler systems.

Although the share of heat pumps in the total UK domestic heating market has not yet reached double figures, its enormous potential and the wider recognition to be expected following the adoption of the Directive will undoubtedly lead to increased market share.