Heat pump: how it works and types

Heat pumps are specific generators used for heating and cooling residential buildings. Here's how they work, the advantages and costs.

Heat pumps are currently one of the most popular and widely used domestic heat generation systems. They can be used for various air conditioningneeds, both for heating and cooling houses, as well as for the production of domestic hot water.
Because of how they work and the fact that they can be easily integrated with modern renewable energy production systems, heat pumps are considered one of the most interesting eco-friendly heat generation systems currently on the market.

But how exactly does a heat pump work and how can it contribute towards comfort in the home?

How does a heat pump work?

Heat pumps use energy from natural sources such as ground water, air or geothermal heat to generate heat for heating or to be used in more modern domestic cooling systems and beyond.

Basically, a heat pump works in a similar way to regular fridges, but the opposite way around: while a fridge generates cold by extracting heat from the inside and channelling it outside, a heat pump gathers heat from an external source and turns it into thermal energy to be released into the room that will be heated.

In a heat pump, there is a closed loop of refrigerant, and it is the change in the physical state of this fluid that makes this temperature control system work. As it changes from liquid to gas, or vice versa, it makes the heat pump remove or give off heat and become a functional energy vector.

The heat produced by a heat pump can then be dispersed across living spaces using various systems, which can be easily integrated into a heating system. For example, the temperature can be controlled using fan coils, radiators or radiant floor, ceiling or wall systems. Combining heat pumps with radiant systems operating at moderate temperatures (low temperatures for heating and high temperatures for cooling) is a key way to ensure the high efficiency of energy systems.
The radiant system can use the same operating principles, not only for heating but also for cooling spaces, offering a complete temperature controlsystem for all seasons.

Types of heat pump

It is basically the energy source that feeds the heat pump that determines the different types. There are three main subcategories to choose from:

• Air-to-air and air-to-water systems
• Water-to-water and water-to-air systems
• Ground source systems

Air-to-air and air-to-water heat pumps

Air-to-air and air-to-water heat pumps use the air outside the home as a primary source. How does an air-to-water heat pump work?

In winter, it takes energy from outside the spaces to be temperature-controlled and transfers it into the system to produce heat.

In summer, the process is reversed, and it takes heat from inside the spaces and cools them down.

Of the Giacomini products that are suitable for optimal solutions like domestic temperature control systems, we have air-to-water heat pumps, both monobloc and split, which offer to users all the comfort and energy savings typical of this temperature control system.

Water-to water and water-to-air heat pumps

Water-to water and water-to-air heat pumps use thermal energy from ground water, present underground, for example from wells, lakes or rivers. They vary according to whether the heat transfer fluid is water in the system or from the air.

Ground source heat pumps

Ground source heat pumps, also known as geothermal heat pumps, use heat from under the ground, which is collected by probes placed deep underground.

Pros and cons of heat pumps

One of the biggest advantages of heat pumps is their exceptional energy performance, compared with the costs incurred. In fact, the electricity used and the thermal energy produced are at a ratio of 1:5, meaning that the thermal energy produced is at least 5 times more than the electricity consumed.

Heat pumps can also be used in every season, 365 days a year, as they can heat and cool through the same components in one system.
The costs of designing and implementing a heat pump temperature control system are not the cheapest compared to other types of systems, but the initial investment will pay off through your expenses in the long term, and because heat pumps can be easily combined with photovoltaic systems, reducing costs even further.
It is also important to consider that heat pump installation is one of the works included in the most recent eco-sustainability and energy efficiencyincentives offered by the Italian government, so you can enjoy tax deductions if you live in Italy.