What is it all about?

There is increasing pressure on homeowners these days to make sure their properties are as energy efficient as possible to help the government drive down greenhouse gas emissions and make progress where low carbon investments are concerned.

And luckily, there are lots of different products available on the market these days for people to choose from when it does come to making eco-friendly home improvements. If this is fast becoming a top priority for you, you might want to consider looking into the benefits of thermodynamic panels and how these could make a real difference to the energy efficiency of your house.

You might also hear these panels referred to as solar assisted heat pumps – and quite simply, they’re halfway between a heat pump and a solar panel. They work by predominantly providing heat energy in the form of hot water and are a lot more efficient than air source heat pumps because they use solar gain and radiation. What this means is that the system can take advantage of the ambient air temperature, as a heat pump would, but also solar radiation as well, as a solar thermal system would.

There is increasing pressure on homeowners these days to make sure their properties are as energy efficient as possible to help the government drive down greenhouse gas emissions and make progress where low carbon investments are concerned.

The Panels

Thermodynamic panels work by circulating a very cold liquid refrigerant through veins in the panel. This liquid is approximately -22°C when it enters the panel.

Due to the large temperature difference between the liquid in the panel and the outside air a heat transfer will take place. Heat energy is absorbed by the panel and transferred into a store of water within the property. Thermodynamic panel systems are designed to heat hot water and constantly keep the water hot 24 hours a day at 55°C. The panels will work at night, as they work on a similar principle to a fridge, and can be positioned facing any direction.

Inside the property you would find a unit that contains the working parts of the system compressor, pump, hardware, electronics and a modern insulated cylinder, usually stainless steel. The water is heated and stored within this unit. Thermodynamic units come in many difference sizes to suit the water demand of the property.

The panels themselves, made from anodised aluminium, are about the same size as a standard door so you’ll need to have enough space somewhere to put them. There are two sections to this kind of unit – one that holds a water storage area and another that holds the working parts of the machinery.

Cylinder options

In terms of installation, you can set up a small unit that works alongside your existing hot water cylinder.

The water from the cylinder is pumped to the unit and then heated using a heating plate – perfect if you have space restrictions at home. But you will need a pump for this because the water is heated externally. 

Alternatively, you can remove the existing hot water cylinder and replace it with an all-in-one thermodynamic unit (which come in a range of sizes). This is the most efficient way to run one of these units, as long as you have the space required.

Advantages

In terms of energy efficiency, these units are great because the water is heated directly by a coil or element contained in the storage tank so there’s no heat loss from piping water to an external heating unit.

A thermodynamic panel system would enable the home owner to completely turn off their existing fuel source for the heating of domestic hot water. This means that the system is capable of heating the water and keeping it hot all year round, unlike a solar thermal system which would need assistance during the winter months of the year. This means that the potential energy savings are greater than is predecessor technologies such as solar thermal. Most thermodynamic units come with a secondary coil so that the boiler or existing method of heating water can be connect back into the system. This can serve as a backup during times of extreme hot water usage.

You should also bear in mind that these kinds of systems don’t require any maintenance because they’re sealed and have few moving parts. Once installation has taken place, there’s no need to top the refrigerant up or carry out maintenance work, so for homeowners this has to be a massive advantage!

But you should make sure that you call out a qualified engineer once a year to give the system a good onceover so you know it’s working properly and at maximum efficiency. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with us today.

With uncertainty surrounding fuel prices consumers often see a thermodynamic system as a great way to protect themselves against future fuel inflation. The systems have been slowly gaining support and traction in the UK over the last 10 years. This has been recently helped further by some of the major products and suppliers receiving the government back MCS accreditation.

GET IN TOUCH TO START SAVING

Call free on 0808 164 65 68 to speak to us or hit the button below to arrange a free no obligation quote.