3
Design and function
3.1 The heat pump in general
Arguments for heat pumps from REMKO
n
Heat pumps make a contribution to environ-
mental protection.
n
Lower CO
2
emissions in comparison to oil and
gas heating.
n
All models are able to cool as well as heat.
n
Flexible installation due to split system design.
n
Negligible maintenance costs.
n
No noise in outdoor area
n
Max. efficiency through the use of geothermal
energy
Underfloor heating
Air conditioner
Solar
station
External probe
Power
inverter
PV system
H
ot
w
at
er
Cold water
Radiator
Indoor module
Earth probe
Solar plant
Photovoltaic system
25%
electrical
energy
free geothermal heat
75%
Fig. 7: Free heat
* The ratio can vary depending on source temperature and operating conditions.
Economical and environmentally conscious
heating
The burning of fossil-based energy sources in
order to generate power creates severe conse-
quences for the environment. A high percentage of
fossil fuels is also problematic due to the limited
resources of oil and gas and the price increases
resulting from this. For this reason, many people
today are thinking both economically and environ-
mentally-consciously in terms of heating. The
application of heat pump technology enables both
of these concepts to be combined. It makes use of
the energy which is permanently available in the
air, water and soil and converts it into usable
heating energy by means of inputting electrical
energy. Yet in order to generate heat equivalent to
4 kWh, only about 1 kWh of electricity is required.
The rest is made available free-of-charge by the
environment.
Heat source
There are essentially three heat sources from
which heat pumps can derive energy: air, soil and
groundwater.
Brine heat pumps extract energy from the soil. This
is achieved through serpentine pipe networks
which are laid approx. 1 m deep or placed by
means of drilling.
Air heat pumps have the advantage that air as a
source heat is available everywhere in
unlimited
quantities that can be used
free of charge
. A dis-
advantage is that the outside air is at its coldest
when the heat requirement is greatest.
Water heat pumps require
two wells
in order to
obtain heat from the groundwater, one supply well
and one dry well. The development of this source
is not possible everywhere. It is expensive and
requires planning permission.
19